Mesopotamian Social Classes

The lower class young women of the Ancient Mesopotamian society were deprived of education whereas, both young and adult women of all classes in Ancient Egypt had the privilege of receiving education and continue with their professions. In Ancient Mesopotamian society, both young and adult males had the privilege of education while the women of the lower class remained at home and learnt how to clean the house and take care of the family. Women of the higher or royal class had the access to education until the age of 12 or 14, then followed and learnt their mothers’ jobs. Women of the royal classes could become priestesses, who governed over the sacred aspects of daily lives and officiated at religious services. They were literate and considered
Enheduanna would have spent her day taking care of the business of the temple and of the surrounding complex, as well as officiating at ceremonies. In addition, women of the higher classes were the first to become doctors and dentists of Ancient Mesopotamia before those were taken over by men; reducing women’s chances of holding superior positions in the society. Likewise, women of lower class could work alongside with their men at tavern keepers and were the first to become brewers before those were usurped by men in the society. The role of women usually varies from one culture to the other. In some cultures, women fought in battles alongside men. In others, the society had expected them to stay home. Depriving them of their rights, bear children and maintain the household. One culture where women were allowed and encouraged to follow their dreams and work outside of home was the Ancient Egypt. Women of Ancient Egypt were highly educated and regarded for their
They would become nannies which the wealthy families could afford, perfume-makers, employed in temples and courts, acrobats, dancers, musicians, chief priest, the judge, and prophets. For instance, Egyptian women could attend remedial schools along men or attend a female-only school. This led to Egyptian women being among the most regarded doctors of all time. Throughout the Ancient history of Egypt, there were more than 100 important female specialists that were recorded in every field of medicine. One of the most well-known female doctors in Ancient was Merit Ptah who was known as the ‘Chief Physician’. She had lived around 2700 BCE during the reign of the 2nd and 3rd dynasties and was the first female physician in the history. Not to mention, she was also the first woman to be mentioned in the study of science. Another woman who became of the most influential physician of the royal court near Nile after Merit Ptah was Peseshet. She lived during the dominion of the 4th and 5th dynasties. She was known as the main doctor of the kingdom. She graduated from medical school in Sais, the center of the medical sciences in the third millennium