| Ordinary Egyptians gathered
goods to trade with one another. For example, a man might have offered
a vase in exchange for a pair of sandals. Someone else may have offered
a walking stick in exchange for some wheat. Tradesmen in the market usually
dealt with household items such as eating utensils and good luck charms.
The trading crowds often attracted thieves. Robbers met their match
in baboons that were trained to bite culprits. Since there was no
money, tomb workers were usually paid with ordinary items like beer or
bread. Special goods such as oil, salt, beef, or linen were given
by the government as bonus payments.
Egyptian and other foreign
rulers often exchanged goods. Egyptian merchants went on trade
expeditions to other lands. They brought back various items such
as panther skins, greyhounds, giraffe tails for fly whisks, elephant tusks,
lions, and baboons for the temples or palace. People employed by
the pharaoh were provided with housing. Wages were paid in the form
of food, clothing, and other necessities.
Workers were divided into
two categories: skilled and laborers. Skilled artisans were considered
socially superior to common laborers. Some examples of skilled
laborers were carpenters, scribes, physicians, and scholars. Also
included in this category were stone masons and sculptors. Skilled
artisans were educated by a master in their field who ensured the consistency
of their work. Some of the unskilled laborers were:
brick
makers, farm laborers, servants, and laborers who toiled with the pyramids. |
