Egypt’s Old Kingdom /
social classes
How did each social class
contribute to the success
of ancient Egypt?
The nobles were under the pharaoh
and helped run the government.
Scribes and craftspeople were under
the nobles. Scribes used
hieroglyphic writing to keep records
and craftspeople produced goods.
Egypt’s Old Kingdom /
social classes
Who became a slave in
ancient Egypt?
Farmers were under the scribes and
craftspeople. They produced food.
Slaves were at the bottom and were
people in debt, people who had
committed a crime, or people who
had been captured in war.
Egypt’s Old Kingdom /
Religion
What feature of
civilization became
important to the ancient
Egyptians?
Religion became important to the
ancient Egyptians during the Old
Kingdom.
Egyptians practiced polytheism, or
the worship of more than one god.
Egypt’s Old Kingdom /
Religion
Why were temples
important in the Old
Kingdom?
Ancient Egyptians were expected to
worship the same gods.
Over time certain cities built
temples and were associated with
particular (specific) gods.
Egypt’s Old Kingdom /
temples
Why were temples
important in the Old
Kingdom?
The Egyptians built temples to the gods
all over the kingdom.
The temples collected payments from
both the government and worshippers.
These payments allowed the temples to
become important and powerful.
Egypt’s Old Kingdom /
afterlife
What is the ka?
Egyptian religion focused on the
afterlife.
Are mummies beef jerky?
Each person’s ka (KAH), or life
force, existed after death but
remained linked to the body.
Egypt’s Old Kingdom /
mummification
Why was embalming bodies
important to the ancient
Egyptians?
To keep the ka from suffering, the
Egyptians developed a method called
embalming to preserve bodies.
The bodies were preserved as mummies.
Only royalty and other members of the
elite could afford to have mummies made.
Egypt’s Old Kingdom /
pyramids
What was built near the
town of Giza?
The impact of the Egyptian Pyramids
The Egyptians began to build
pyramids during the Old Kingdom.
Some of the largest pyramids ever
constructed were built during the
Old Kingdom.
The largest is the Great Pyramid of
Khufu near the town of Giza.
Egypt’s Old Kingdom /
pyramids
Why did Egyptians build
pyramids?
Pyramids, spectacular stone
monuments, were built to house dead
rulers.
Many pyramids are still standing
today.