Game of Ancient Egyptian Life

The at-home For most Egyptians a get-together would have been a simple affair: sitting around a fire or lamp, telling stories, singing songs, eating sweetmeat and drinking beer. Not so for their betters. They organised banquets on a lavish scale - if pictures in tombs are to be believed. The tables were burdened with all kinds of food, the wine was poured by shapely servants. Traditional receptions could be full of rituals, with people having to observe a strict etiquette, though the very fact that they had to be reminded of it may be a hint that the rules were not as strictly observed as some would have liked them to be. Men and women sat apart, the host on a chair, the guests on stools, pillows or floormats. During the New Kingdom they were sometimes depicted as wearing a cone on their heads. Conventional wisdom has it that these were made of scented grease, which would melt and flow down the wig releasing the perfume. Few traces if any of such grease hav...

MEDICINE Much of what researchers know about ancient Egyptian medicine is learned from mummies—the preserved bodies of ancient Egyptian pharaohs. From the beginnings of civilization in the 3rd millennium BCE, ancient Egyptians were renowned for their healing arts, and Pharaoh received the best medical attention. The ancient Egyptians knew enough about health and wellness to institute advanced preventative healthcare in their time—they believed in a combination of proper diet and hygiene, use of medicinal oils and potions put together by studied artisans, and sacrificial prayers to particular gods. The ancient Egyptians are rumored to have invented the first toothbrushes, and it was known that they used herbs and essential oils in cosmetics and ointments for wounds. Their physicians performed minor surgeries with the first brass surgical tools, including dental work, and they were familiar enough with human anatomy to understand the importance of the various vital organs ev...

Bees and Honey in Ancient Egypt It cannot be disputed that the Ancient Egyptians attached great religious and spiritual significance to the honey bee. Bees were associated with royalty in Egypt; indeed, as early as 3500 BC, the bee was the symbol of the King of Lower Egypt! (The symbol of the King of Upper Egypt was a reed). There are many examples of bee hieroglyphs to be found in the records, as well as hieroglyphs for honey and beekeeper. Bee-related hieroglyphs Beekeeping has been practiced for thousands of years in Egypt. For at least four thousand five hundred years, the Egyptians have been making hives in the same way, out of pipes of clay or Nile mud, often stacked one on top of another. These hives were moved up and down the Nile depending on the time of year, allowing the bees to pollinate any and all flowers which were in season. Special rafts were built for moving these hives, which were stacked in pyramids. At each new location, the hives were carried to the nearby ...

AGRICULTURE  Informative video about Ancient Egyptian Farming:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okVDdqkFl2w

     BIRTH & CHILDHOOD Information retrieved from the book 'Egyptian Life' by Miriam Stead Children were considered a blessing in ancient Egypt. Sons and daughters took care of their parents in their old age. They were often called "the staff of old age," that is, one upon whom the elderly parents could depend upon for support and care. The scribe Ani instructed that children repay the devotion of Egyptian mothers: "Repay your mother for all her care. Give her as much bread as she needs, and carry her as she carried you, for you were a heavy burden to her. When you were finally born, she still carried you on her neck and for three years she suckled you and kept you clean." It was also expected that the older son or child carry on the funerary provisioning of the parents after their death. Children had value in ancient Egypt. The Greeks, who were accustomed to leaving infants exposed to the elements, were stunned...

POTTERY & WEAPONS The Materials and Tools of the Predynastic Egyptian Potter:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXwV1CPkXFM Ancient Egyptian Pottery:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7aXqs8fsqk Making a Predynastic Egyptian Style  Pot:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkfENhKDJmc sketches inspired by egyptian pottery

FOOD Ancient Egyptian food is surprisingly diverse considering the arid landscape from which it came. Although  Egypt  is a hot, desert country where the lack of water makes it difficult to grow crops and raise animals, the annual flooding of the river Nile (inundation) between the months of June and September made the Nile Valley one of the most fertile areas of the ancient world. When the river flooded, mud and silt was deposited onto the surrounding area. This soil was rich and fertile and made good farming land. The main crops grown were wheat and barley. Wheat was made into bread which was one of the main ancient Egyptian foods eaten by both rich and poor ancient Egyptians. The picture (right) shows the bread-making process. First the grain was made into flour. It was then made into dough with water and yeast which was placed into a clay mould before being cooked in a stone oven.      Barley was used to make beer. The barley was combine...

JEWELERY The ancient Egyptians valued personal adornment highly and Egyptian jewelry was worn by women and men, and of all social classes. Their statues of gods and kings were decked with lavish jewels. The deceased were adorned in jewelry for their send off into the afterlife. All types of Egyptian jewelry were popular, including bracelets, earrings, collar pieces, anklets, armbands, and rings. Golden jewelry became a status symbol in pre-dynastic Egypt. It was a symbol of power, religion, and status. It enabled it to before a greater focus for families of nobility, and royals. This created a larger demand for elaborate pieces. In addition to gold and materials commonly found throughout Egypt, other materials were imported. The favoured material for the Egyptian Scarab was Lapis Lazuli, a semi-precious stone. High grade Egyptian jewelry was a majorly desired trade item in the ancient world. Their craftsmanship was found across territories including Turkey, Rome, ancient Persia, and ...