Egyptian society

Children - were precious to ancient Egyptians, great rejoicing always followed the birth of a baby

Clothes - Elite Egyptians cared about their appearance and clothing which indicated their social status

Demography - very high infant mortality rate and low life expectancy

Domestic Trade - Small scale commerce in the hands of ordinary men and their wives

Family - Strong emphasis on the nuclear family unit

Festivals - Most ceremonies were cultic, rather than civil

Food - When Egyptians evolved from hunters to settled farmers, a revolution occurred in food production and diet.

Houses - The typical house was square in shape and consisted of at least three rooms

Marriage - contracts were seen as a means of regulating the transfer of property

Sex - Sexual behaviors for both men and women were restricted by society

Social pyramid - A hierarchical structure with power residing in the Pharaoh - Vizier, High Priest, Nobles, Priests, Doctors, Scribes, Craftsmen, Farmers, Slaves ..

Sports - games were practiced widely by the general population for fitness and entertainment

Women - Compared to other areas of the ancient world, they held stronger social positions and expanded legal rights.

Dynastic Period Social Developments

Early Dynastic Period
Formation of the Social pyramid - a hierarchical structure with power residing in a headman who was believed to be able to control the Nile flood.
The headman's power rested on his reputation as a "rainmaker Pharaoh ".
The Social pyramid developed during the Early Dynastic Period remained virtually intact and changed little over the centuries

Old Kingdom
Strong Pharaohs commanded great resources, and built the most elaborate pyramids

1st Intermediate
Nobility Power - country's bureaucratic authority was now in the hands of local officials
Weak Pharaohs

Middle Kingdom
Powerful Viziers - Pharaohs relied on close allies rather than Nobles which previously challenged the central authority
End Nobility Power

2nd Intermediate
Asiatic immigration of Hyksos
Egyptians were subjected for the first time to foreign influences and technologies

New Kingdom
18th dynasty Strong Queens - some women such as Hatshepsut raised to power for the first time, others were deified such as Nefertari and Nefertiti
19th dynasty slavery increased from captured territories. a central army was formed with large numbers of mercenary soldiers.
Strong military commanders from not Royal blood raised to power such as Ramses I and Horemheb
20th dynasty strong Priests - at the end of this dynasty the High Priests of Amun at Thebes became the effective de facto rulers of Upper Egypt

3rd Intermediate
Disunity and Libyan settlement in Egypt

Late Kingdom
Nubia assimilated the Egyptian culture
They adopted Egyptian customs, beliefs, religion, and kingship in their own culture
They adapted the hieroglyphic script for writing their own language
Amun became the state gods of Nubia
During this period there was a large influx of foreigners into Egypt. Phoenicians came as traders ; Greeks and Carians came as mercenaries.
Immigrants from the Near East, Libya, the Aegean, Nubia, and elsewhere settled in Egypt

2nd Persian
Persians rule the country through local representatives based at Memphis .
They established juridical guides for Egypt published in both in the demotic Egyptian script and Aramaic.

Ptolemaic Period
High officials were Greek, while local administration remained in Egyptian hands
Greek became the official language of the government . Demotic, however, was still used by the majority of the Egyptians and used in lesser administrative offices
Prominence of women and Queens
Increase in slavery
Scientists become important members of society

Dynastic Period	Social Developments
Early Dynastic Period	Formation of the Social pyramid - a hierarchical structure with power residing in a headman who was believed to be able to control the Nile flood. The headman's power rested on his reputation as a "rainmaker Pharaoh ". The Social pyramid developed during the Early Dynastic Period remained virtually intact and changed little over the centuries
Old Kingdom	Strong Pharaohs commanded great resources, and built the most elaborate pyramids
1st Intermediate	Nobility Power - country's bureaucratic authority was now in the hands of local officials Weak Pharaohs
Middle Kingdom	Powerful Viziers - Pharaohs relied on close allies rather than Nobles which previously challenged the central authority End Nobility Power
2nd Intermediate	Asiatic immigration of Hyksos Egyptians were subjected for the first time to foreign influences and technologies
New Kingdom	18th dynasty Strong Queens - some women such as Hatshepsut raised to power for the first time, others were deified such as Nefertari and Nefertiti 19th dynasty slavery increased from captured territories. a central army was formed with large numbers of mercenary soldiers. Strong military commanders from not Royal blood raised to power such as Ramses I and Horemheb 20th dynasty strong Priests - at the end of this dynasty the High Priests of Amun at Thebes became the effective de facto rulers of Upper Egypt
3rd Intermediate	Disunity and Libyan settlement in Egypt
Late Kingdom	Nubia assimilated the Egyptian culture They adopted Egyptian customs, beliefs, religion, and kingship in their own culture They adapted the hieroglyphic script for writing their own language Amun became the state gods of Nubia During this period there was a large influx of foreigners into Egypt. Phoenicians came as traders ; Greeks and Carians came as mercenaries. Immigrants from the Near East, Libya, the Aegean, Nubia, and elsewhere settled in Egypt
2nd Persian	Persians rule the country through local representatives based at Memphis . They established juridical guides for Egypt published in both in the demotic Egyptian script and Aramaic.
Ptolemaic Period	High officials were Greek, while local administration remained in Egyptian hands Greek became the official language of the government . Demotic, however, was still used by the majority of the Egyptians and used in lesser administrative offices Prominence of women and Queens Increase in slavery Scientists become important members of society