\paperw3690 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 Egyptian society was hierarchically structured. The pharaoh was the master of both lands and people and, through his functionaries, co
ntrolled all activity in the kingdom.\par
Free people had to pay levies on the lands they possessed and, periodically, did forced labor for their ruler.\par
Even within the world of work there was a hierarchy: at the summit was the scribe. Below him ca
me specialized artisans, often employed in the palace or temples. Among the most important crafts were the manufacture of linen, from which all textiles were made, and papyrus, which was used not only as a writing material, but also for rope, sandals and
boats.\par
Other wage earners included the men who worked in the stone quarries and on the construction of royal tombs. They were also paid, chiefly with cereals.\par
However the majority of the Egyptian population was made up of peasants, or \i fella
hin\i0 as they are called in Arabic.\par
Work in the fields was limited to short periods. October, when the waters of the Nile receded from the flooded land, was the sowing season. Harvest time was between February and June. In the intervening months,
peasants devoted themselves to raising stock.\par
On the bottom rung of the social ladder were the slaves, usually foreigners taken prisoner in war. They did domestic work or were used as laborers.\par
The least fortunate ended up in the Sinai and Nubi
