Egypt Daily LifeEgypt Daily Life

What DID they do What DID they do back then?back then?

EntertainmentEntertainment• No regard for human lifeNo regard for human life• Killed with a clear Killed with a clear

conscienceconscience–Soldiers cut off right Soldiers cut off right hand to be recorded for hand to be recorded for creditcredit

EntertainmentEntertainment

• 65 days off each year65 days off each year

• 4 days for local feast4 days for local feast

• 5 days for New Year 5 days for New Year celebrationcelebration

EntertainmentEntertainment• Good sense of humorGood sense of humor–Dead given obscene Dead given obscene literatureliterature

• Played gamesPlayed games–Checkers, dice, marbles, Checkers, dice, marbles, wrestling, boxing, wrestling, boxing, bullfightsbullfights

FoodFood• Large family banquetsLarge family banquets–Cleaned houseCleaned house–Decorated with flowersDecorated with flowers–Lots of food and drinkLots of food and drink–Music and Music and dancers/acrobatsdancers/acrobats

EducationEducation• Education very importantEducation very important–Fathers taught sons Fathers taught sons tradetrade–Mothers taught Mothers taught daughters how to keep daughters how to keep househouse

EducationEducation

• Royal family hired tutorsRoyal family hired tutors

• Priests taught wealthy Priests taught wealthy kids basic educationkids basic education

–Produce scribes for Produce scribes for governmentgovernment

EducationEducation

• Chief method of Chief method of instruction was dictation instruction was dictation or copying textsor copying texts

• Ethics and virtueEthics and virtue

• Discipline with rodDiscipline with rod

EducationEducation

• Short stories of ghosts, Short stories of ghosts, miracles, romances of miracles, romances of royalty, earliest known royalty, earliest known Cinderella, fables of Cinderella, fables of talking animalstalking animals

EducationEducation• Many librariesMany libraries–Alexandria had 400,000 Alexandria had 400,000 papyrus scrollspapyrus scrolls

• Math highly developedMath highly developed–Geometry developed from Geometry developed from measuring flooded land each measuring flooded land each yearyear–No zeroNo zero

AstronomyAstronomy• Tracked positions and Tracked positions and

movements of planetsmovements of planets

–Used astrologyUsed astrology

• Could predict Nile’s flooding Could predict Nile’s flooding and where sun would rise on and where sun would rise on summer solsticesummer solstice

Anatomy/MedicineAnatomy/Medicine• Poor progress in study of Poor progress in study of

human bodyhuman body• Thought blood vessels Thought blood vessels

carried air and watercarried air and water• Heart and bowels were the Heart and bowels were the

mindmind

Anatomy/MedicineAnatomy/Medicine• Average life span = 30Average life span = 30• Most common ailment – Most common ailment –

emphysema from sandemphysema from sand• Bread caused tooth decayBread caused tooth decay• Disease seen as a demonDisease seen as a demon–Doctors were “magicians”Doctors were “magicians”

AppearanceAppearance• Upper classes – white skin Upper classes – white skin

at birth, darkened by sunat birth, darkened by sun• Vigorous, muscular, broad-Vigorous, muscular, broad-

shouldered; thin, oval shouldered; thin, oval faces, long straight noses; faces, long straight noses; dark hairdark hair

AppearanceAppearance• Women bobbed hair, men wore Women bobbed hair, men wore

hair shorthair short• Shaved around mouth and chinShaved around mouth and chin• Boys shaved heads except for Boys shaved heads except for

hair lock on the right side of the hair lock on the right side of the headhead• Wigs common – wool or hairWigs common – wool or hair

AppearanceAppearance• Clothing – from nothing to Clothing – from nothing to

gorgeous dress, gorgeous dress, depending on classdepending on class• Children only wore Children only wore

necklaces and earrings necklaces and earrings until early teensuntil early teens• Servants – loin cloth onlyServants – loin cloth only

ArtArt• Used every color in the Used every color in the

rainbow on almost rainbow on almost everythingeverything• Captured actual features Captured actual features

and movements of people and movements of people and animalsand animals

WorkWork• 10 day work week10 day work week–8 days work, 2 days rest8 days work, 2 days rest

• Paid in food, oil, linen, Paid in food, oil, linen, firewoodfirewood–Bonus of salt, wine and Bonus of salt, wine and meatmeat

HomesHomes

• Stone too costly for homes, Stone too costly for homes, only priests & kingsonly priests & kings

–Built with mud bricksBuilt with mud bricks

• Nice woodwork, courtyard Nice woodwork, courtyard around housearound house

WomenWomen• Advanced status, many Advanced status, many

freedomsfreedoms• Same life after death as menSame life after death as men• Rights depended on class, Rights depended on class,

not gendernot gender• Main jobs – marriage, Main jobs – marriage,

housework, kidshousework, kids

MarriageMarriage• Shortly after puberty (15 Shortly after puberty (15

boys, 12 girls)boys, 12 girls)• Arranged by parentsArranged by parents• Brother/sister rare, but Brother/sister rare, but

first cousins common first cousins common (family property rights)(family property rights)

MarriageMarriage• Adulterous wife?Adulterous wife?

–Dismiss her, or deathDismiss her, or death

–Alimony if not adulterousAlimony if not adulterous

• Adulterous husband?Adulterous husband?

–Too badToo bad

MarriageMarriage• Husbands could beat wives Husbands could beat wives

reasonablyreasonably

–Too much, got 100 lashesToo much, got 100 lashes

• No infanticideNo infanticide

–If did it, held dead child in If did it, held dead child in arms for 3 days and nightsarms for 3 days and nights