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In ancient Egypt, respect was not based on gender. It was based on their social status. This means that women could enjoy a majority of the luxuries men could have as well. With this being said, they took on roles that could be deemed influential and very important. During this time, they also enjoyed rights that were economic and legal, as well. In this paper, we will be looking into the lives of Egyptian women, specifically during the times of the Late Period (712-332 BC).
The weather consisted of dry air and sandy land, which we know as the desert. The Sahara desert received little rainfall. During the daytime, the temperature would exceed over 100 degrees, and the hottest it has ever gotten to was 136 degrees. However, once nightfall, it would get as low as 50 degrees. During the hot blazing day, it becomes tough due to dehydration and sunburns, among the poisonous scorpions and sand storms. Even when the sand storms aren’t raging, the sand still finds its way into their food. The people in ancient Egypt lived in a muddy brick home. Without having much to work with, they use the materials that surround them, such as mud, water, clay, sand, and chop straws. The mud home would be from 13 to 66 feet, and the inside would be from 858 square feet. The living room would be for worshipping Gods and ancestors. Followed by a front room that would be used for meeting and talking to visitors.
Some of the wealthier families would have limestone bathrooms; however, most families threw their sewage outside in a pit or canal. Some homes will be 2 to 3 stories tall following that the bottom floor would often contain a cella for food. Some rooms include very little furniture, with each piece being straightforward. After building the homes and finishing up preparation, they head out for their meals, which were prepared by the mistress and the midwives (Orr 2010).
The wife of an ordinary household would have to be intimately involved in preparing daily meals. Most of the other women are involved as well. Such as rare meat that would be cooked. However, the Nile River had plenty of fish for them to prepare, as well. Alongside that, most families grew their vegetables on a plot near or next to their homes. The establishment of all everyday or feast suppers, paying little heed to social class, was the equivalent: bread, lager, and vegetables. This also included leeks, onions, garlic, various heartbeats (beans, peas, lentils, and so on.), and a few assortments of melons. Wealthier Egyptians had more chances to appreciate red meat, fowl, nectar improved cakes, and different luxuries. Lower-class Egyptians depended on fish and fowl for the more significant part of their meat proteins. The prepared accessibility of wild fish and fowl made them economical, while hamburgers and, to a shifting degree, other red meats were costly and considered by numerous individuals to be an extravagance (Brewer 1999).
Now, lets start with the basics of what a woman would wear during this period. In modern times we associate Egypt with the fine cotton they use (Watterson 1998). However, in ancient times, they would use linen from the stem of a flax plant. Women were also the ones who would sew to make these materials. If they had any extra material, they would sell it. This skill of weaving was precious. If the individual was skilled enough, they could be paid in gold. When it came to their feet, they usually went barefoot even after sandals were introduced to them. This can be seen a lot in illustrations of ancient Egypt.
While ancient Egypts social status wasnt an issue. Childbirth has come to make it very difficult to handle. Many of the young married wives have lost their lives due to the effects of giving birth. Because of this, there was a low rate of women and young girls. The midwives usually help with delivering the baby and oversee that the birth process is healthy for the baby and that the mother has survived giving birth (Capel 1996).
In Egyptian family units, of all things considered, offspring of both genders were esteemed and needed, there is no sign that female child murder was polished. Notwithstanding ripeness tests, tests for pregnancy and the assurance of the sex of the kid were conceived. One test included watering grain and emmer wheat with the pee of a cheerful mother-to-be. On the off chance that the grain grew, the lady was pregnant with a male youngster; if the emmer wheat developed, she was pregnant with a female kid. On the off chance that the pee had no impact, the lady was not pregnant. Even though there really might be some logical reason for this test. A pregnant lady delivers an assortment of hormones, some of which can actuate early blossoming specifically plants, there is no known connection between these plants and the assurance of sexual orientation . (Brewer 1999)
Egypt marriages didnt have any ceremony at the time. The unions during this period were set up at home. It was a social arrangement that was regulated on a proper base. By the time a young child (boy or girl) becomes an adolescent, they are ready for marriage. However, this provides that the boy will be between the ages of 16 to 20 (Brewer 1999). While the young girls are from ages 12 to 13. Once they are married they begin to take on their duties as housewives. Egypt also didnt have marriage as a register tracker. Because of this, they figured that once a couple begins to live with one another, they are considered married. However, divorce was also in a link, as well. Even though the establishment of marriage was paid attention to, the separation was normal. Either accomplice could establish to separate for the deficiency (infidelity, failure to imagine, or misuse) or no flaw (contradiction). The separation was, not uncertainty, a matter of disillusionment. However, not one disrespected the other, and it was regular for separated individuals to remarry. On the contrary, anyone who committed adultery (which is prohibited) is to be punished and those who have committed such an act will have their noses cut off or be burned at a stake. (Brewer 1999 )
Women could also exercise their rights when divorce became a topic of concern. Women could have contracts to make sure that everything was done fair, and they could secure property or valuables that were shared amongst the couple. There is notable evidence from the ancient Egyptian time that shows physical evidence of these contracts existing. An example of this would be a contract of an annuity from the Family from Suit Nefertiti (Khalil 2017). These rights that women have are just another example of the equality that they had during this time.
Education
Egyptian women were able to receive an education. They started close to the time that children start training now. By age four, they were taught different topics listed as the following: geometry, science, hieroglyphics, and conversational hieratics (Khalil 2017). After they received their education, a certificate could be given like a piece that indicated their achievement. They could venture out to any practice they chose with the knowledge they had retained. If women needed extra help in their learning, they were able to attend remedial schools. In these schools, they could choose to work alongside men or attend schools that were only for females.
Egyptian women usually work as either servants, nannies, or wet nurses. The servants often lived with the household they worked for. This is because they are generally poor and dont have a house of their own to look after. However, some work in a wealthy home and become maids. The maids job would be to help the mistress get dressed and to prepare her for banquets and other special occasions that may arise. If there are older women, they take the role of nannies or wet nurses. Women also had jobs that can be seen in the modern world together. Some of these occupations included being a hairstylist, dancers, weavers, writers, and musicians (Lloyd 2010). Women had the opportunity to explore an abundance of different routes when it came to the career field. Their jobs could deal with science, music, or laborious tasks like the ones that were previously mentioned. For the common woman, she was more than likely working long hours in the field, although there were other occupations she could do. Although the common woman at this time could not automatically become a ruler, having a woman as a ruler was possible and seen throughout the history of ancient Egypt. Overall women had all sorts of occupations even though they were like the jobs of men (Mark 2019)
As we look into the lives of women living during the late period, we can see that they were able to achieve and prosper in many aspects of their lives. Although there were setbacks dealing with childbirth complications and not always having the highest position, they were able to make crucial decisions in their life. They were able to have an education, occupation, and rights when it came to legal matters. When looking back in history, one could say ancient Egypt is progressive for its time in comparison to modern times.
Works Cited
- A Companion to Ancient Egypt: Two Volume Set, edited by Alan B. Lloyd, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated,2010.ProQuestEbookCentral,https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/setonhill-ebooks/detail.action?docID=537389.
- Cincinnati Art Museum, and Brooklyn Museum. Mistress of the House, Mistress of Heaven: Women in Ancient Egypt. Edited by Anne K Capel and Glenn Markoe, First ed., Hudson Hills Press in Association with Cincinnati Art Museum, 1996.
- Egypt and the Egyptians, Cambridge University Press, 2001. Copyright Douglas J. Brewer and Emily Teeter 1999.
- Khalil, Radwa, et al. How Knowledge of Ancient Egyptian Women Can Influence Today’s Gender Role: Does History Matter in Gender Psychology? Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers Media S.A., 5 Jan. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5215293/.
- Manning, Ruth. Ancient Egyptian Women. 2008.
- Mark, Joshua J. Women in Ancient Egypt. Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2 Dec. 2019, www.ancient.eu/article/623/women-in-ancient-egypt/.
- Orr, Tamra. How’d They Do? in– Ancient Egypt. Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2010.
- Watterson, Barbara. Women in Ancient Egypt. Wrens Park Pub, 1998.
- Brewer, Douglas J. ‘Ancient Egyptian Society and Family Life.’ The Fathom Archive:: The University of Chicago Library: Digital Collections, 1999, fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/21701778/.
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