Name: _____________________________________________ Class: __________ Date: __________________________________
A Day in the Life – Scavenger Hunt KEY
Scavenger Hunt Directions – Use online content from A Day in the Life feature on the Egypt’s Golden Empire website
(http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/special/lifeas/index.html), the Egyptian Civilization feature on the Canadian Museum of
History website (http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/egypt/egcl01e.shtml), or the British Museum’s Ancient
Egypt website (http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/life/) to help you complete the following table and questions.
Social Class or
Occupation
Type of Clothing
Worn
Types of Foods
Eaten
Wealthy
Egyptians ate
meat, including
beef, poultry,
and pork.
Palace
Pharaoh
Adorned with
golden jewelry,
crowns, and
headdresses.
Wandering
through
gardens on the
palace
grounds.
Holding daily
Servants
meetings in
the audience
chamber, and
making animal
sacrifice to
god Amen-Ra.
Linen robes,
kilts, leather
sandals, glass
jewelry.
Bread, fruit,
meat, fish, wine,
etc.
Townhouse
Relaxing
(siesta) and
entertaining
guests.
Overseeing
business of
agriculture
and livestock.
Long, white,
linen robes.
Food remaining
after offering to
god Amen-Ra,
pea and lentil
soup, breads.
Temple
Practicing
chanting.
Ritual prayers
Incense, oils,
and offerings
natron, resin.
for gods,
officiating
funerals,
mummification
process.
Noblemen
Priests
Types of Shelter
Lived In
How Free Time
Was Spent
Jobs and
Responsibilities
Tools of the
Trade
Papyrus,
chariots, and
servants.
Social Class or
Occupation
Type of Clothing
Worn
Farmers
Women
Types of Shelter
Lived In
How Free Time
Was Spent
Jobs and
Responsibilities
Linen head
cloth and kilt.
Figs, dates,
milk, honey,
beer, meat,
bread, fish,
lentils,
vegetables.
Simple houses;
one or two
story dwellings
made of mud
bricks.
Play (board
games like
Senit) and
relax with
family.
Painters,
butchers,
bakers,
carpenters,
sculptors,
shopkeepers,
etc.
Head cloth,
neck and
shoulder gear,
linen kilt,
papyrus
sandals.
Bread, lentils,
and some fruit.
Barracks
Building
infrastructure
for Egyptian
empire.
Corse linen kilt
and a pair of
reed sandals.
Bread, fruit,
beer, and a
little meat.
Simple houses.
Linen anklelength dresses
with shoulder
straps – more
form fitting for
wealthy
women, looser
for poorer
women.
Depending on
the class listed
above; would
be the same as
her husband.
Depending on
the class listed
above; would
be the same
as her
husband.
Going to bed
or resting –
farming is a
very tiring job
with no free
time.
Tending to the
house and
needs of their
families,
cleaning or
cooking.
Training to
fight
(practicing
drills, battle
formations,
charges),
protecting the
pharaoh.
Tending to
farmland,
delivering
harvest to
temple.
Craftsmen or
Workers
Soldiers
Types of Foods
Eaten
Egyptian law
gave women
many of the
same rights as
men, yet men
still made the
decisions for
families.
Tools of the
Trade
Depending on
the profession
(ex.
carpenter:
saws, axes,
chisels and
sculptors:
stone
hammers).
Spear, bow
and arrow,
sword.
Small hand
farming tools
(hoes,
shovels) and
oxen guided
ploughs.
Household
items for
cooking,
cleaning, and
caring for
family.
In addition to the information recorded on the chart, find answers to the following questions.
1. What were the educational opportunities available to the ancient Egyptians, and who had access to these
opportunities?
The education of Egyptian children (both boys and girls, though boys typically received more education) was based on
religious beliefs. Schools were part of the temples and the teachers were priests. Students came mainly from families of
the rich. The main function of the schools, much like in Ancient Mesopotamia, was to train scribes.
2. Could ancient Egyptians move from one social class to another? If so, what would one have to do to move to
another social class?
Initially in ancient Egypt, your status was dictated by that of your father and ancestors. Movement between social
classes was almost impossible. But as the empire grew, Egypt needed more educated men to run it properly. There was
a massive increase in the professional, educated classes and this enabled bright young Egyptians to move up the social
ladder. Sometimes, Egyptian women could change social classes through marriage as well.
3. What rights and freedoms did people from each of the social classes have?
Depended on the social class. The pharaoh was the highest of the social classes and afforded all of life’s freedoms and
luxuries. Noblemen and priests also had many freedoms, though priests spent much of their time worshipping and
paying respect to the Egyptian gods. Craftsmen, soldiers, and farmers were required to spend much of their life working
as they were the foundation of Egyptian society.
4. What was the role of women in ancient Egyptian society?
While women were highly respected and enjoyed many of the same legal rights as men, they were still largely confined
to the home, tending to children and housework.
5. Record other interesting facts and information you learned in the space below.