WIGS

The most important of all the fashion accessories was the wig. Shiny, black hair, perhaps because of its association with youth and vitality, was associated with eroticism, and artificial hair was a simple way to maintain what nature neglected. Wigs served a more practical function, however. Natural hair that was thick enough to protect the […]

Fashion Facts

The Mediterranean region was ruled by ancient Egypt from roughly 3100 B.C. to 332 B.C., when it was conquered by Alexander the Great. Most people are familiar with the Great Pyramids, which stand as icons of Egypt’s majesty. Explorers and scientists have learned many fascinating facts about Egypt, thanks to the artifacts that were left […]

Ancient Egyptian Jewelry

It’s been hundreds of thousands of years since the first simple jewelry pieces were crafted from seashells, bone, and animal skin. In the years since our ancestors first left the African continent, Egypt has become a dominant civilization in ancient history. They were empowered by advances in technology, and access to gemstones and precious metals. […]

Third Intermediate Period of Egypt

The Third Intermediate Period (c. 1069-525 BCE) is the era following the New Kingdom of Egypt (c. 1570-c.1069 BCE) and preceding the Late Period (c.525-332 BCE). Egyptian history was divided into eras of ‘kingdoms’ and ‘intermediate periods’ by Egyptologists of the late 19th century CE to clarify the study of the country’s history, but these designations were not used by the […]

The Clergy, Temples & Scripture

Although the Greek historian Herodotus claims that only men could be priests in ancient Egypt, the Egyptian record argues otherwise. Women could be priests of the cult of their goddess from the Old Kingdom onward and were accorded the same respect as their male counterparts. Usually a member of the clergy had to be of the same sex as the deity […]

Brewing & Banquets

The best-known examples of these models come from the tomb of Meketre of the early Middle Kingdom. These are small dioramas which detail the brewing process at that time. The models supplement letters, receipts, and other written works in depicting how beer was brewed and by whom. Strudwick notes that “although beer was produced daily in […]

Beer in Ancient Egypt

Considering the value the ancient Egyptians placed on enjoying life, it is no surprise that they are known as the first civilization to perfect the art of brewing beer. The Egyptians were so well known as brewers, in fact, that their fame eclipsed the actual inventors of the process, the Sumerians, even in ancient times. The Greeks, who were […]

Fashion In Egypt’s Early Dynastic Period And Old Kingdom

Fashion amongst the ancient Egyptians tended to be straightforward, practical and uniformly unisex. Egyptian society viewed men and women as equals. Hence, both sexes for the majority of Egypt’s population wore similar styled clothes. In Egypt’s Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE) upper-class women tended to adopt flowing dresses, which effectively concealed their breasts. However, lower […]

Ancient Egyptian Government

The government of ancient Egypt was a theocratic monarchy as the king ruled by a mandate from the gods, initially was seen as an intermediary between human beings and the divine, and was supposed to represent the gods’ will through the laws passed and policies approved. A central government in Egypt is evident by c. 3150 BCE […]

Facts About Ancient Egyptian Jewellery

Ancient Egyptian Jewellery The earliest evidence of jewellery making in ancient Egypt dates to 4000 BC. Today, ancient Egyptian jewellery has gifted us with some of the rarest and most sublime examples of ancient craftsmanship discovered to date. Both men and women in ancient Egypt proved themselves to be great admirers of jewellery. They adorned themselves with […]