The Middle and New
Queen
Kingdoms
Hatshepsut
Terms to Tackle:
• Middle Kingdom
• New Kingdom
• Queen Hatshepsut
Daily
Life
The Middle Kingdom
• Pharaohs began to run out
of money by about 2200
B.C., and nobles took
over.
• Trade and farming
declined, and chaos broke
out.
• In 2050 B.C., however,
Mentuhotep II took over
Egypt and ruled as a
Pharaoh.
Mentuhotep II
The Middle
Kingdom
lasted until
1750 B.C.
The Middle Kingdom and
the Hyksos
• Pharaohs once again had a
hard time keeping power.
• For about 200 years, the
Hyksos, a group from
Asia, came and took over
Lower Egypt.
• Egyptians disliked paying
the Hyksos taxes and
being ruled by them.
Luckily for the Egyptians, a man named Ahmose built an army and took
power back from the Hyksos.
The New Kingdom
• Ahmose’s reign began the
New Kingdom and the
time when Egypt was at
its peak.
• This era lasted from 1550
B.C. to 1050 B.C.
• During this era, Egypt
created its first army to
take over new land and to
keep people like the
Hyksos from taking over
again.
The more land Egypt took over, the
more taxes they received.
As Egypt’s army
took over distant
lands, Egypt began
to trade.
Egypt’s Female Pharaoh
When the Queen died, her son destroyed
most of his mom’s hard work.
Much of the
Queen’s money
was spent on art
and temples.
• Thutmose II passed away but
had only one son to take over
the throne.
• Since his son was just a baby at
the time of his death, his wife,
Hatshepsut, took over power as
the Pharaoh of Egypt.
• Many Egyptians were angry at
the idea of a woman ruler.
• In order to gain respect, she
dressed as a man and wore a
fake beard.
Work and Daily Life
• Egypt’s complex society
and a surplus of crops
allowed for Egyptians to
take on many different
jobs.
• These jobs included:
Scribes
Artisans, Artists, Architects
Soldiers
Farmers and Peasants
Slaves
Scribes
• Other than the Pharaoh,
priests, and government
officials, scribes were the
most honored in society.
• They kept records of
finances and copied
religious documents.
• They didn’t have to pay
taxes and many became
wealthy.
Why do you think Egyptians
believed scribes were so important?
Artisans, Artists, and
Architects
• Below scribes on the
social pyramid were
artisans, artists, and
architects.
• These people were
builders, carpenters,
jewelers, sculptors, leather
workers, and metal
workers.
• The best artisans, artists,
and architects worked for
the pharaoh and became
very wealthy.
Soldiers
• Soldiers received land
as payment.
• They could also keep
treasures they found in
war.
• Great soldiers could
rise to officer positions
and lead the army.
Farmers, Peasants, and
Slaves
• The majority of Egypt’s
people were farmers and
peasants.
• Farmers paid the Pharaoh
taxes with crops.
• Peasants could be called
upon anytime to do jobs
like build pyramids, mine
gold, or fight in war.
• Slaves were even lower
than peasants but would
do similar jobs.
Farmers used
tools like this
shaduf to fetch
water from the
Nile.
Family Life
• Men were expected to
marry young.
• Women mostly stayed
home, but some worked as
priestesses and artisans.
• Woman had the right to
own property and divorce
their husbands.
• Most children went to
school and studied morals,
writing, math, and sports.
Egyptians are thought to be the first people
to have cats as pets. Cats were also considered deities.