Ordinary Egyptians lived in mud-brick houses with their family. These houses were built to keep out the heat, with small winows, and roof terraces. There wasn't much living space, and most houses were quite bare with little furniture apart from a few tables, stools and beds.
Wealthy homes consisted of central halls, separate bedrooms and a servants quater. They had a large garden and courtyard and sometimes even had a fish pond. Most typical village houses had maybe 4 rooms, one behind the other. They would have an entrance, a living room, a storeroom, a kitchen courtyard, and a bedroom. Most windows were high up, to keep it as cool as possible. Craftspeople would spend their time creating many things such as jewellery, paintings, and pottery. Craftspeople specialised in a range of areas like woodwork and metal work. Jewellery was made of precious gem stones. stonemasons worked on wealthy homes, building them and decorating the amazing palaces, temples and tombs that we admire today. |
Only a small number of boys went to school. They started at the age of five, and continued learning for 12 years. They learnt how to write in hieroglyphs. The teacher would make them copy the words onto pieces of broken pottery.
Most Egyptians worked on the land. Farming, planting crops, ploughing, sowing and harvesting. They also had farm animals, like us, they had cows which were raised for meat and milk, sheep and goats for their wool, meat and skin, pigs were not as common as they were regarded as an animal of Seth (The God of Evil and Chaos). Geese and ducks were raised for their eggs, and oxens, and donkeys were used for travel, pulling ploughs and threshing grain. Food was plentiful in Ancient Egypt, with being so close to the River Nile, fish were common. Fish were sometimes kept in ponds to look at or also eat. Pharohs and Priests did not eat fish as they were also regarded as animals of Seth. Some fish were thought of as sacred and weren't eaten by anyone. Most women spent their time baking bread and brewing beer. Cows, sheep, goats and ducks were all used for their meat. Beef was the favourite meat among those who could afford it, but meat was usually expensive, and was a special treat for ordinary people. Those who could afford it, were able to eat meat, drink wine, and have banquets. Ordinary Egyptians were usually known to enjoy a simple meal of fish along with bread and beer. Girls stayed at home, helping their mothers, learning how to run a household. Boys wouldn't spend as much time wih their mothers, and would go out in the fields, or learning the fathers trade from a young age. Many girls married at the age of just 12 and 13. Egyptians took great care in their appearance. They would make make-up ot of minerals and were worn by both men and women. They had eye make-up (what we call eye shadow), red lip paste (what we call lipstick), and powder to colour the cheeks (what we call blush). They would also dye their hair like we do. Hairstyles were taken seriously, with Egyptians taking great troublt to keep hair clean, neat and scented. Many people chose to shave their heads, and wear wigs instead. Most Egytian clothes were made of linen which came from the harvested plant of flax. Children and adults both enjoyed participating in hobbies and activities. Men enjoyed hunting and fishing and women liked singing and dancing. Children had toys and dolls, they also loved playing outdoors. They also kept houshold pets like cats, dogs and even monkeys!!! Many women played music on handmade instruments. |
Everday Life In Ancient Egypt...
Nowadays, we wake up, have breakfast, and go to school. For some of us, we spend time playing sports, using technology, and hanging out with friends, but what was a usual day in the life of an Ancient Egyptian like?