Most of what we know about ancient Egypt comes from school textbooks and movies. Amazing kings and queens, magnificent pyramids, and the wealth of their tombs are seen. There is no denying that these topics are fascinating, but there are also other topics that not everyone is aware of.
Here, now that I’ve seen it all, we’ve put together a list of fascinating, little-known facts about the ancient Egyptians.
In ancient Egypt, women and men had equal rights. They were able to own and manage a property because only mothers could pass on land. Egyptian women were free to wear what they pleased, choose their own husbands, and even divorce and remarry. Breastfeeding women were especially worshiped and compared to gods. Despite the fact that medicine was still developing at the time, childbirth did not receive the care it deserved, and many women died in childbirth. In addition, breastfeeding was crucial because it can save newborns from dehydration in high temperatures. In order to ensure that the child would be cared for in the event of the mother’s death, wealthy families often made contracts with infant nurses.
The pyramids were not built by slaves but by paid workers. The tombs discovered near the Giza pyramid complex are proof of this. Analysis of the remains discovered there revealed that the inhabitants performed strenuous physical work. Archaeologists agree that they built the pyramids. Additionally, since only highly respected persons could be buried near pharaohs, the deceased could not have been slaves due to the location of the tomb.
The fact that most people in ancient Egypt worked in agriculture further supports the idea that the builders could not have been slaves. Farmers were mostly unemployed and worked for the pharaohs because the land there was only suitable for farming for a few months of the year. In ancient Egypt, people did not remember birthdays. It wasn’t the way we do it now; only pharaohs did it. On the day of their coronation, kings were celebrated and regarded as gods.
Throughout life, people’s names were kept secret. Egyptians used nicknames because it was believed that knowing someone else’s name would allow that person to be magically affected. By the way, when pharaohs ascended the throne, they adopted the names of their famous ancestors as a guarantee of their own safety.
The Egyptians feared death overseas because they thought that only by being buried in the grim soil of the Nile River Delta would they be able to experience rebirth in the afterlife. The Egyptians did not travel as often and did not have as wide an exposure to the world as, for example, the Greeks.
The Egyptians used dentures, as evidenced by the discovery of gold bridges made from someone else’s teeth on certain cadavers. However, it is difficult to say whether they were applied during the embalming procedure while the subjects were still alive or later.
Great emphasis was placed on personal cleanliness. People of all socio-economic classes bathed every day. The poorest people bathed in the Nile, while the rich had private toilets and staff to bring them water. Instead of soap, they used natron, a mixture of four salts. Also used for mummification, this.
One of the first users of penicillin was probably unknowing: the Egyptians. They dressed the wounds with moldy bread. They took hygiene very seriously, as we have already mentioned. For this reason, until the middle of the 20th century, the postoperative mortality rate in ancient Egypt was lower than in any hospital in Europe.
Both men and women shaved their hair and covered it with wigs to keep out lice. The wealthier classes could purchase expensive wigs made from human or horse hair and covered in gold and silver, while the less fortunate had to make their own wigs from papyrus leaves.
Many Egyptians, including the noble ones, often went barefoot, especially at home, because they could not afford shoes. They applied special ointments to their feet to protect them from the sun and insects. The richest have their own manicure specialists. They used knives and files to cut their nails and this work was so revered that it was even recognized on their tombstone when they died. Incestuous unions were common. In order to protect pure blood and limit the number of persons who can succeed to the throne, it was first practiced exclusively by ruling dynasties. Pharaohs often married their sisters. There were cases where men married their nieces who were the daughters of their siblings. Even among ordinary Egyptians, these unions became the norm.
Tutankhamun’s parents were revealed by the study to be brother and sister, and the pharaoh married his half-sister. Both of their daughters were stillborn. Along with Thutmose III, Ramesses II is considered one of the greatest pharaohs of ancient Egypt, along with Cleopatra. He had a long life; historians’ estimates vary, but he died at age 90 or 91. He is known to have married four of his own daughters and in total had more than 30 offspring by various marriages.
As you may know, Cleopatra was an outstanding Egyptian queen. She presided over the nation for 22 years. Although we are used to thinking of her as beautiful, her appeal was exaggerated. According to historians, she was not as petite as we assume and had large, eagle eyes, narrow lips, and an overall thin face.
The concept of the afterlife had a profound meaning for the ancient Egyptians. They believed in a complicated journey after death where the soul underwent trials and judgment and finally attained eternal life. Elaborate burial practices such as mummification were carried out to preserve the physical body for its eventual resurrection. The Book of the Dead, a collection of spells and rituals, was placed in tombs to guide and protect the deceased during their journey to the afterlife.
Ancient Egypt continues to fascinate us with its rich history, captivating mythology, and remarkable achievements. Exploring the lesser-known aspects of this civilization broadens our perspective and deepens our appreciation for the legacy they left behind. The more we uncover, the more we realize that there is still more to discover and learn from the ancient Egyptians.
Now you have a better understanding of how the ancient Egyptians lived. It was an incredibly interesting and exciting time that we wish we could have seen with our own eyes. Which of the facts in our collection surprised you the most?