Western Civ Day #9- They Cyber Class

Today in Western Civ we are not supposed to have class but yet we are having a Cyber Day so Mr. Schick said we had to write the essay questions on the test so here they are:

A.) Describe the social hierarchy of the ancient Egyptians.

The social Hierarchy is in different levels of where the people are like a pyramid. At the bottom were slaves, then farmers, then artisans, then merchants, then scribes, then soldiers, then government officials, and finally pharaohs. At the bottom of the pyramid were slaves and servants and they were teh majority of population in the enire social hierarchy. The slaves were not treated as poorly as the American slaves and they were actually treated quite fairly. They were not free but they did not get beaten or anything as drastic as that. The slaves and servants duties were to help the wealthy with household and childraising. The next class was the farmers and this group advanced very heavily. They created tools and technology to help them grow crops and such. This group made strives that were far beyond anything anyoen ever imagined at the time. The farmers grew wheat, barley, lentil, and onions. They also figured how to deal with the flood of the Nile every July. Instead of the water against them they used the water for their own benefit. Plus the rich soil used in October was also very beneficial. The next class were teh artisans and they had a much more simpler and not as challenging job. The artisans were pretty much sculptors of ancien Egypt. They would carve statues and reliefs that showed military battles and scenes from the afterlife. This group of people did not have a very hard job and rather it was quite easy but yet they still got payed. The next social class was the merchants. This group was yet another group of people that would strive and make major advances in what they did. Merchants used money/ barter system for the first time and they traded items or goods in order to recieve more of these items or goods that they did not have. Merchants also invented the coin system for the first time and they were the first people to invent coins in order to trade for goods.

The next class up were the scribes, and this field of people were probably the mkst advanced of all people. The scribes were the first people to write down records of history, stories, and poems of anything they had. Scribes were the first people to write their own language and taht was a huge advance into the Western world. Plus they wrote down things for anatomy and medical treatments that was way ahead of their time. The third class from the top was the soldiers and their job was the simplest and that was to protect Egypt. When it came to war and protection the Egyptians were far ahead of anyone at their time. The Egpytians were the first people to use wooden weapons with bronze tips. Plus they used bows and arrows and invented chariots making travel and battle easier. The Egytians had one of the most respected armies int eh world at this time. The next class was the highest people class besides the pharoah and that was the government class, but they also had another name. The other name was the white kilt class. This group of people were called this because they would always wear a bright and white robe depicting them from everyone else. This group was made up of priests, physicians, egineers and more people with good paying jobs. The final class was the Pharaoh class and easliy the most important of them all. The pharaoh was a religous and political leader but also considered to be a part god. It has been said that the Pharaoh could talk to the gods and ask the gods. But when natural disasters happened to the city then the pharaoh would be kicked out or even killed. The pharaoh was the most important person of the hierarchy but also the most pressured as well.

 

B.) Discuss the importance of the Nile River in the lives of Egyptians.

The Nile River was very important to the Egytpians and they pratically lived on it. The Egytian life was centered around the Nile River. The city of Egypt was on both sides of the Nile and the Nile River ran right through the city. The water of the Nile was used for many things. In July the river would flood and then the crops and everything else was destroyed so the Egyptians came up with a technology to control the Nile river. They would put pipes or passage ways to control the Nile into certain areas of the fields and water the plants without harming them. The Nile was irragated and used to water the crops. Then after the flood was gone the soil was rich and easily planted crops so the rich soil was cause of the Nile. Plus the Egyptians would use the Nile to drink from because there was no other water supply close. They would bath in order to stay clean and not get sick. Plus the people of Egypt would transport things across the Nile. The river flew south to north so people in the south could flow goods up on a small boat to people in the north. But then the boat wouldn't be able to get back with the traded goods. So they invented sail boats to flow back down with the wind against the current. Because of the Nile sailboats were invented. Then at the area where the Nile empties out is called the Delta. This is where much of the rich and fertile silt is located, so then people could plant lots of crops and many more things to help. So because of the Nile not only did Egyptians live but they thrived and advanced with technological breakthroughs and things that had never been seen before in the world.