How Did People Live in Ancient Egypt?
Posted in Living in Egypt, Preparing for Egypt
by Stacy Umm Nuh
Culture and lifestyle is always a part of any group of people and such is the situation with Egyptians. The type of food, house, songs, and traditions peculiar to a group of individuals is often times a function of how their older generations have lived. With that being said, one may be interested in knowing exactly how ancient Egyptians lived, even though this may not reflect the real traits of present day Egyptians. However, it is still an interesting knowledge to have about one of the world's most civilized generations. There are lots of aspects to be discussed in terms of how people lived in ancient Egypt, but we will only be discussing some important ones within the context of this article.
Family is an integral part of life in ancient Egypt, and the men always considered marriage a huge achievement. This is typified in the number of polygamous homes found in ancient Egypt. Many of the men in ancient Egypt had multiple wives and there is always a chief or senior wife. This is the wife that is considered to be higher than the other wives. This is a common trend in ancient Egypt and it was a part of the daily life of everybody living in Egypt then. The issue of divorce wasn't so pronounced amongst the people living in ancient Egypt because of the Egyptians' commitment to the sanctity of their family. You don't find broken homes around like we see in the global community today!
Children were a real gem in ancient Egypt and they were an important part of the ancient Egyptian society and families. Children were considered to be blessings sent from gods, especially in the noble or royal homes. For instance, there is a popular painting from the times of the ancient Egyptians which showed the close bond between some parents and their six daughters. This painting was regarded as the "Paintings of Queen Nefertiti and King Akhenaten". Children were indeed significant to the daily life in ancient Egyptian. The people living in ancient Egypt considered children in high regards.
Peasant life was extremely difficult in Egypt back then because most peasants had to live off agricultural means and the majority of their agricultural produce was wheat, grains. There were very few grazing lands available, so the entire process wasn't so comfortable for animal rearing. The people living in ancient Egypt were amongst the first set of people in the world to use ox-drawn plow. However, in spite of this innovation then, planting, harvesting and plowing was still a difficult task in ancient Egypt. To cap the difficulty off was the taxes imposed on the crops produced. This made it extremely challenging for peasant families to escape their poor lifestyles. Slavery was also a significant part of ancient Egypt, although modern day views on slavery confirmed that most of the slaves in those days were more of servants and not actual slaves. Many even believe that the great pyramids of ancient Egypt were constructed by slave labor. However, this has been subjected to much debate.
Women in the Society
Contrary to popular opinion, women were in fact treated, often times, as equals in the ancient Egypt society. Women were not treated as second-class citizens at all. In fact, they were allowed to own their properties, make testimonies in court, have a voice in the society and even establish their own business dealings in the society of ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptian women were regarded in better fashion than the women in other areas of the world. However, they were still charged with catering for the children, looking over the house and many other domestic activities such as meal preparation and housekeeping.
Role of Men
The men in ancient Egypt were considered as the head of the family, just like they are considered to be, in our present day. The life of ancient Egyptian men, on the other hand, was mainly spent on the fields working on their farmlands to care for their families. Men were tasked with keeping the family safe, catered for, sheltered, fed and above all they were responsible for their respective families, and even though women were held in high regards, they were still meant to obey their husbands and fathers. Many men in ancient Egypt became craftsmen as they learnt a trade or skill from their fathers, brothers and uncles.
The staple food in the lives of ancient Egyptians was Wheat. Those who lived in Egypt, in these periods, fed on a combination of wheat and vegetables mainly. There were very few grazing lands, so the people could barely eat meat as meats were quite expensive. The major drink was strictly beer which was brewed from barley. Only the wealthy noblemen had access to wine, as the common man in ancient Egypt was restricted to just beer alone. The type of bread found in ancient Egypt was mainly wheat bread seasoned with fruit, honey, and herbs. Ancient Egyptians didn't have so much varieties when it comes to food availability, so they had to make do with the little resources they had.
The ancient Egyptians lived in houses made of adobe. These houses were built with bricks made from sun-dried mud. Their doors and windows were covered in mats, so as to keep insects out. Ancient Egyptians also decorate their homes, just like we see around today. Most peasants lived in story buildings which were often over-populated; however, the noblemen lived in larger homes divided into reception area, private quarters and hall.
Ancient Egyptians believed in gods and goddesses from the Egyptian mythology. The religion of ancient Egyptians was POLYTHEISTIC. A common behavior in ancient Egypt was that of towns and villages claiming a particular god as the one they truly believed in. A lot of temples were built in ancient Egypt and the people made rituals, sacrifices and offerings a part of their daily lives.
Culture and Life Style
The predominant aspect of the ancient Egyptian culture is entertainment, which featured a lot of fishing, and river boating. Ancient Egyptians also went haunting crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and they also made swimming a part of their common activities. Other sports found in ancient Egypt included athletics, hockey, and rowing.
The majority of those that lived in ancient Egypt wore clothes made from linen, and light material which was often wrapped around the body. They also wore leather sandals, as depicted in some drawings and paintings found.
The majority of ancient Egyptians believed so much in total cleanliness as they would often carry out cleansing rituals in the river daily or bathe at their respective homes.
In the old Mediterranean world, Egyptian doctors were considered to be the best. These doctors in ancient Egypt employed a mix of scientific approach (in diagnosing) and magical concoctions and rituals in curing their patients. The people who specialized in medicine in ancient Egypt even had specialization, with some doctors specializing in gynecology and even treatment of illnesses. Ancient Egyptians became aware of the human internal organs, thanks to the process of mummification.
Ancient Egyptians believed death wasn't permanent and so they made it a lifestyle to keep their corpse in life-like form with the belief that it might re-unite the spirit of the dean and the land of the living. For those who couldn't afford the procedure financially, they were buried in simple desert graves un-mummified.
What Kind of Houses Did Ancient Egyptians Live in?
How Many People Live in Egypt?
How Joseph Came to Live in Egypt
Tag : Ancient Egypt, Egyptian History, Living in Egypt, Religion
5 Arabic Speaking Countries You Need to Visit
Arabic as we know it first began to form somewhere between the 1st and 4th centuries AD. Over time, it ...
The Basics A house is regarded as a home, it is the place we seek for in order to get ...
The Basics One of the most popular stories in the Christian religion doctrine is that of Joseph – the father ...