Group 4

Farmers, servants,
workers and craftsmen
I. Intro

- Farmers made up the bulk of the population. Farmers

grew the crops that fed the people of Egypt. They grew
their crops near the banks of the Nile River where the
rich black soil was good for crops.
- Artists and craftsmen were of higher status than
farmers. They included carpenters, weavers, jewelers,
leather workers, and potters
- Unskilled workers were peasants who labored in large
groups to accomplish large projects, normally for the
government.
- Servants worked in the Pharaoh's palace and doing
the daily chores needed to keep it running.
• II.
• -  Held no political power
• - Children followed  father’s occupation
• - Apprenticeship-style scheme for boys
• - Produce of farmers paid as tax to landowners
• - Expected to work for pharaoh when not
working in own job.
• - Craftsmen, such as potters, carpenters,
stonemasons, valued for work in the tombs.
III. Way of life
- Poor lifestyle with simple houses
- Farmers lived in houses made of mud
bricks. All the grain was controlled by royal
officials and kept in a royal granary. Farmers
also grew flax.
- The main staple of the commoner was
bread.
- Men and women both tended to marry
young.
IV. Clothing
- Sandals were the usual foot cover in ancient
Egypt, made from plant fibers or leather
- Makeup was worn by both men and women
- Most people wore white linen clothes. Men
wore kilts and women wore a straight dress.
- Slaves and servants would wear patterned
fabrics.