The Social Structure of The Egyptian Old Kingdom

Scribes  

The Scribal class formed Egypt’s bureaucracy. They kept records and kept the government in order. Some were both scribes and priests.

• Merchants

The very small number of merchants in ancient Egypt usually traveled on the Nile by boat, selling goods.

• Artisans

There were a small number of artisans in ancient Egypt who worked to build tombs for the pharaoh and the nobles. There social standing was just above farmers.

• Farmers

The largest part of the population was made up of farmers. They paid their taxes by labouring in public projects. While forming the peasant class, they were not treated particularly poorly.

• Slaves and Servants

Palaces and temples kept servants to do chores and lower forms of work. There were also slaves, which would most often be people that were captured in war. These slaves could be owned by individuals or by a temple that would rent them out. Slaves were usually treated decently and sometimes even adopted as members of the family.

The Influence of Geography on The Egyptian Old Kingdom

• The Nile

The Nile River was the most important geographical influence on Egypt. The regular annual flooding of the Nile made the soil in the Nile River Valley and the Nile Delta exceptionally good for farming. The rest of Egypt was desert. It relied on the Nile for good farmland. Farmers planned their planting and harvesting around the flooding of the Nile. Although the Niles flooding was usually predictable, there were instances where it flooded considerably more or less then usual. In these cases great damage could be done. Over flooding could be destructive while under flooding could cause a famine.

• The Desert

The Deserts that surround Egypt both helped protect it from invasion and kept it relatively isolated from the influence of the outside world. The desert only slowed down outside influence though, it didn’t prevent it completely. This isolation made Egypt the conservative and relatively stable civilization that it was. The desert was also a source of materials including gold, tin, alabaster, copper, limestone, natron and amethyst. Copper mining provided Egypt with wealth at the peak of the Old Kingdom.

• The Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean allowed Egypt to reach the rest of the world. It kept Egypt from being completely isolated. Egypt traded with Syria, Crete and Mesopotamia through the Mediterranean Sea. This allowed Egypt’s culture to be influenced by the outside world.