8 Surprising Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Ancient Egypt!
But while Egyptian art, architecture and burial methods have
become enduring objects of fascination, there is still a lot you probably don’t
know about these famed builders of the pyramids. From the earliest recorded
peace treaty to ancient board games, find out 8 surprising facts about the Gift
of the Nile!
#1 THEY DID NOT RIDE CAMELS
The camel was not used regularly in Egypt until the very end of
the dynastic age. Instead, the Egyptians used donkeys as beasts of burden, and
boats as a highly convenient means of transport.
#2 NOT EVERYONE WAS MUMMIFIED
The mummy – an eviscerated, dried and bandaged corpse has become
a defining Egyptian artefact. Yet mummification was an expensive and
time-consuming process, reserved for the more wealthy members of society. The
vast majority of Egypt’s dead were buried in simple pits in the desert.
The tomb was designed as an eternal home for the mummified body
and the ka spirit that lived beside it. An accessible tomb-chapel allowed
families, well-wishers and priests to visit the deceased and leave the regular
offerings that the ka required, while a hidden burial chamber protected the
mummy from harm.
In Egypt, men and women of equivalent social status were treated
as equals in the eyes of the law. This meant that women could own, earn, buy,
sell and inherit property. They could live unprotected by male guardians and,
if widowed or divorced, could raise their own children. They could bring cases
before, and be punished by, the law courts. And they were expected to deputise
for an absent husband in matters of business.
Hieroglyphic writing – a script consisting of many hundreds of
intricate images was beautiful to look at, but time-consuming to create. It was
therefore reserved for the most important texts; the writings decorating tomb
and temple walls, and texts recording royal achievements.
Ideally the king of Egypt would be the son of the previous king.
But this was not always possible, and the coronation ceremony had the power to
convert the most unlikely candidate into an unassailable king.
#7 FEW EGYPTIAN MEN MARRIED THEIR
SISTERS
Some of Egypt’s kings married their sisters or half-sisters.
These incestuous marriages ensured that the queen was trained in her duties
from birth, and that she remained entirely loyal to her husband and their
children.
#8 THE GREAT PYRAMID WAS NOT BUILT BY
SLAVES
The classical historian Herodotus believed that the Great
Pyramid had been built by 100,000 slaves. It is, however, wrong! Archaeological
evidence indicates that the Great Pyramid was in fact built by a workforce of
5,000 permanent, salaried employees and up to 20,000 temporary workers.
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