Section 5: Artisans (Part 2)
Stone carvers played a crucial role in tomb building. The belief in an afterlife inspired wealthy Egyptians to order elaborate tombs for themselves. Stone carvers helped equip the tombs with artworks to honor and preserve the dead. Artworks might include statues of the deceased, highly detailed wall engravings, and stone coffins.
Stone carving was demanding and time-consuming work. Carvers often worked with hard rock, such as granite. They used dolerite, another type of hard rock, to pound out an initial shape. Next, they refined the shape and carved in details, using stone tools and copper chisels. Then, they used quartz sand to smooth and polish the object. Painters often added color to the finished product.
Read the paragraphs above to answer the questions below. Don't be afraid to re-read!
What was true of being a stone carver in ancient Egypt?
True of Stone Carvers | Not True of Stone Carvers | |
|---|---|---|
It took a long time | ||
It was really hard | ||
They worked with granite | ||
They worked with dolerite | ||
They used marble | ||
They used sand | ||
They used dirt | ||
They used copper | ||
They used iron | ||
It could be done quickly |
Put the steps a stone carver would take to help make a tomb into the correct order.
Using copper chisels, they would refine the shape and carve in the details.
They started with a hard rock like dolerite.
Painters would come in to add color.
They would then pound out an initial shape.
They would then smooth and polish the object using quartz sand.
Section 5: Artisans (Part 4)
Pharaohs called upon hundreds of artisans at once to work on royal projects. Artisans created the fine artwork that covered temples, royal tombs, and other monuments. They worked in large groups to complete engravings, paintings, and hieroglyphics.
Despite artisans’ skill and creativity shown in works that lasted centuries, the upper classes often viewed them as similar to common laborers. Even the most talented artists were rarely allowed to sign their work, but some artists did receive recognition. Employers sometimes threw a banquet for their favorite artist. Occasionally, they honored an artist by allowing him to portray himself in a painting or an engraving.
Section 6: Peasants (Part 1)
Peasants made up the lowest and largest class in Egypt’s social pyramid. Although Egyptian society depended on their work, they were generally considered unskilled workers. Peasants grew the crops that supplied everyone with food. When not busy working the fields, peasants helped build monuments like the pyramids and participated in cultural activities.
The Three Seasons of the Nile: Peasant life revolved around the Nile River. Its three seasons were the flooding season, the planting season, and the harvest season.
The flooding season lasted from June to September. During this time, the Nile overflowed its banks and fertilized the fields. Farmers had to wait for the waters to recede before they could work the fields. Meanwhile, they labored on royal projects, such as building pyramids and temples.
Put the "Seasons of the Nile" in the correct order below.
Harvest Season
Flooding Season
Planting Season
Section 6: Peasants (Part 2)
In October, the planting season began, and farmers sowed their fields with seeds. The most significant crops were wheat and barley, which were used to make bread.
Peasants worked in pairs to sow the fields. The farmer softened the earth with a plow pulled by cattle, while a second person, often the farmer’s wife, followed behind to scatter the seeds. Throughout the season, farmers carefully irrigated the land.
The harvest season began in March. Usually the farmer’s entire family helped with the harvest. The men cut down the plants with sickles (metal blades with short wooden handles), and the women and children gathered the tall stalks of grain. During harvest time, everyone worked from dawn to dusk. Peasants often sang songs to make the long hours of labor pass more quickly. Occasionally, musicians played in the fields while the workers sang.
Section 6: Peasants (Part 3)
The Daily Lives of Peasants: Peasants had the fewest comforts of any of the social classes. They lived in plain houses that were made of mud bricks and filled sparsely with furniture. Many often just had woven mats.
Additionally, the peasants’ diet was simple. A typical daily meal might consist of onions, cucumbers, fish, and homemade bread. Peas and lentils were also common. Unlike the upper classes, peasants rarely ate meat. In times of famine, they often had to boil tough papyrus plants for food. Farmers could also be punished for a poor harvest since they had to pay taxes in the form of crops. If a harvest did not produce enough to pay the required tax, a farmer might be brutally beaten.
Peasants spent most of their lives working but did have some time for recreation. Men enjoyed a river game that involved knocking each other off papyrus rafts. Holidays were celebrated before planting and after the crops were harvested. Peasants also participated in festivals held to honor the Egyptian gods. A highlight of the year for peasants was the end of the harvest season. As a reward for their hard work, they were allowed to collect and keep any leftover grain.
Section 5: Artisans (Part 1)
Below the scribes on the social pyramid were the artisans, Egypt’s highly skilled laborers who created some of the most beautiful art objects in the ancient world. Yet, unlike scribes, they rarely got respect from higher classes. Only the few who became masters at their craft were sometimes honored for their work.
Types of Artisans: Artisans specialized in any one of a number of crafts. Workers in this class included carpenters, jewelers, leatherworkers, metalworkers, painters, potters, sculptors, and weavers. Artisans made beautiful objects, including stunning jewelry and elegant furniture. Painters portrayed scenes of Egyptian daily life. Most artisans were men, but women would weave fabric, bead clothing, and make perfume.
The artisans whose work is most known were the stone carvers. They produced the statues, engravings, and reliefs found in Egyptian temples, tombs, and monuments.
Where were artisans located on the social pyramid?
What were artisans? (Hint: There's more than one)
What beautiful objects did artisans make? (Hint: There's more than one)
What did female artisans make? (Hint: There's more than one)
What types of artisans were there? (Hint: There's more than one)
Which type of artisan is the most well-known?
Which type of artisan created reliefs?
Why were stone carvers so important in tomb building?
What did the stone carvers do? (Hint: There's more than one)
What motivated wealthy Egyptians to build elaborate tombs?
What materials did stone carvers primarily use for tomb artworks?
What tool did stone carvers use to create initial shapes?
Section 5: Artisans (Part 3)
The Daily Life and Work of Artisans: Artisans were a class toward the lower middle of society and lived with their families in modest homes. Their houses were usually rectangular and barely 10 yards long. Three rooms stretched from front to back, the first of which was used as a workroom or to house animals. The living room came next. The final room was divided into a kitchen and a bedroom. The roof was sometimes used as another place to work or sleep.
Artisans typically worked alongside one another in big workshops, often working for ten consecutive days before taking time off. The workers depended entirely on their employers for food. In hard times, when food was in short supply, artisans often went hungry.
Where did artisans live?
What was an artisan's home like? (Hint: There's more than one)
What was an artisan's work like? (Hint: There's more than one)
How did the artisans get their food?
Artisans lived in luxurious homes with many rooms.
The living room in an artisan's home was used for both cooking and sleeping.
Artisans typically worked for a few days and then had long breaks.
How did the pharaohs use artisans in their large tombs and monuments?
What is true of artisans? (Hint: There's more than one)
How did the upper classes view artisans?
What sometimes happened for favored artisans?
Which of the following was often restricted for artisans?
What is true of peasants? (Hint: There's more than one)
What were the three seasons of the Nile?
What season did the peasants build pyramids?
What is true of the planting and harvest seasons? (Hint: There's more than one)
How did the farmers make the time go by easier?
What are the two most significant crops for peasants?
Who usually helped with the harvest on the farm?
What is true of peasants' homes? (Hint: There's more than one)
What is true of peasants' meals? (Hint: There's more than one)
What were peasants life like? (Hint: There's more than one)
What type of houses did the peasants live in?
What was a common punishment for farmers with poor harvests?
What was one of the main foods peasants typically ate?