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Daily Life

Religion: They believed in an afterlife and prepared for this by filling their tombs with statutes of loved ones, and with other items to help them have a good time in their afterlife. Working on their tombs and their many possessions was a big part of daily life. They spent a great deal of their daily life in the temples, honoring their many gods.

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Daily Life

Children: Children were the heart of the family. If a couple could not have a child, they adopted a child.Education: Followed in parents footsteps. There was no law that said they couldn’t change.

If parents couldn’t afford to send children to temple for school, taught them at home.

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Daily LifeFood: Everyone ate! Grain was stored centrally so that all could share.

Bread and beer were the staples. They used honey to sweeten food. They fished the Nile and gathered eggs.

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Daily Life

Dining: People ate food with their fingers. People rinsed their hands between courses and as needed.

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Daily LifeClothes: The upper class wore white linen robes. The lower class wore robes of dark material or woven reed.

Jewelry: Everyone wore jewelry. Wide collars were popular, as were rings, earrings, and bracelets.

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Daily LifeMakeup: Everyone wore makeup. They outlined their eyes with black kohl, made of powered stone. Kohl protected their eyes from the glare of the sun. Women also tinted their nails and rouged their cheeks, as did some men.

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Daily LifePastimes: Sports included archery, wrestling, swimming, boating, running, and playing ball. Girls played with dolls. Board games like Senet were popular. They played harps, flutes, bells, and percussion instruments. Festivals were held frequently.

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Daily LifeSlaves: Ancient Egyptians kept slaves. They were captured enemies or criminals. Slaves were probably treated kindly. The Egyptians believed that bad masters had heavy hearts.

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Daily Life Questions

1. What were two staple foods?2. Who wore jewelry and makeup?3. Who could be educated?

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HomesThe ancient Egyptians built homes of sun-dried bricks. Homes had flat roofs. People often sat outside on their roof in the evening to watch the sunset and catch the evening breeze.The rich: Nobles lived in huge 25-30 room villas along the Nile. Some were fronted with white limestone, which made the walls sparkle.

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HomesHouse cats: The ancient Egyptians believed that cats had magical powers. They believed cats protected their homes and children from danger. All houses had a house cat. Hurting a cat was one of the few crimes that was punishable by death

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Egyptian WomenAncient Egyptian women were the most liberated females of their time. A woman’s first duty wasto be a good wife and mother. But Egyptian women could own their own business, own and sell property, and get a paid job outside the home.

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Egyptian WomenGirls married young, usually between the age of 12 and 14. A woman had one husband. A man, except for the pharaoh, had one wife.

Most were love matches. Women did not have to marry anyone unless they chose to do so. They could say no.

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Egyptian WomenIf a woman agreed to marry someone, the man had to sign a marriage agreement that said anything his wife brought to the marriage was hers to keep forever. The Egyptians were very practical.

A woman could divorce her husband. Both parties were then free to remarry.

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Egyptian WomenA divorced woman gained back everything she had brought into the marriage. If the couple had children, she received custody of the children along with one-third of her husband’s property to help her care for her children.

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Egyptian Women Questions

1. Why do we say ancient Egyptian women were liberated?

2. Why do you think Egyptian girls married so young?

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Achievements &Inventions

• Obelisks• Cartouche• Flat-roofed homes• Pyramids• Mummification• Unique gods and goddesses• Written laws• Courts and justice system• Solar calendar

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TemplesTemples were built to honor the gods, as schools, hotels and they were the heart of the community.Everyday offerings of food were brought to the temples. They were also used as safety deposit boxes, banks, and schools.

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GovernmentThe pharaoh’s palace was his home. It was also the seat of government. Some officialshad offices in the palace. Others had offices in the provinces.