5.+Egyptian+Daily+Life

= ** 5. Egyptian Daily Life ** = We know quite a bit about daily life in ancient Egypt from artifacts and papyrus drawings. In this activity, you’ll see some photographs of these artifacts and of a village that’s now a ruin. As you look at the images, try to imagine how the Egyptians might have used these places and objects. Also look for information about how they dressed, the types of materials they used for clothing and other purposes, and the things they kept in their homes. Keep in mind that this activity only provides an introduction to some aspects of daily life; there are many more things that you won’t be seeing here but that you can learn about later if you continue your research.
 * Introduction: **

Here are a few things you might want to know before you get started:

• You’re going to see photos of a village called Deir el-Medina. No bathrooms or toilets have been found in this village, but they did have kitchens. • Bread was a staple part of the villagers’ diet. • Beer was the most popular drink—it was more popular than water (probably because clean water was difficult to find). Even children drank beer. • Many ancient Egyptians raised bees for honey and wax. Honey was used for sweetening and for cosmetics, medicines, and ointments; wax was used for mummification, boat building, and metal casting. • Both men and women sometimes wore wigs made of human hair.

All web links for this lesson can be found at: []

[]
 * Photographs of Deir el-Medina **

The site pictured here was a village of craftsmen and artisans, and the people here had a higher standard of living than farmers. Still, they were not nobility and did not live in luxurious accommodations.

Pretend you’re an archaeologist coming to this place for the first time. Look at the photographs listed with each of these questions, and answer the questions.

1. Photograph 033: What might these small rooms have been used for?

2. Photograph 035: Describe the layout of this part of the development. How was it built to accommodate the hill that it’s on? Do the rooms appear large enough for people to live in comfortably? How many people would you imagine would have used one of these rooms?

3. Photograph 056: Can you tell which room might have been the kitchen?

4. Photograph 058: What uses can you think of for these circular stoneworks?

Now imagine that, after exploring Deir el-Medina, you found a series of artifacts that give you some information about what everyday life might have been like there and in other Egyptian villages and cities. Look at the pictures of these artifacts at the Web pages listed. **__Then type a paragraph to be turned in to your teacher answering this question. Underline the topic sentence.__**

5. What, according to your findings, were some of the common practices of “regular” Egyptians (i.e., people who weren’t pharaohs or in the nobility)? Use details from at least five of the pictures you’ve seen to explain your answer.


 * //Clothing and Beauty//**

@http://users.skynet.be/egypt/images/13511.jpg
 * Picture of a woman wearing a dress, from the tomb of Ukhhotep III, Middle Kingdom**

@http://users.skynet.be/egypt/images/13506.jpg
 * Picture of a woman carrying offerings, from the tomb of Ukhhotep III, Middle Kingdom**

@http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/sedment/nk/tomb136.html
 * Shoes in the New Kingdom:**

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aes/w /wig_of_human_hair.aspx
 * Wig of Human Hair, 18th Dynasty**

@http://www.yare.org/papers/cambridge%202001/09220033m.htm
 * Combs**


 * //Food, Drink, and Agriculture//**

@http://www.mfa.org/egypt/amarna/ex_hi/ex_hi_12.html //Zoom in on the picture.//
 * Soldier drinking beer with the help of a drinking tube and strainer**

http://www.umich.edu/~kelseydb/Exhibits/Food/text/farm2.html
 * Farming at Karanis**

@http://oi.uchicago.edu/i/highlights/OIM_10626_c.gif
 * Butcher Slaughtering a Calf (from the Old Kingdom):**

@http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/beekeeping.htm
 * Beekeeping photos**


 * //Household life//**

@http://www.animalmummies.com/learningfiles/pets.html
 * Ancient Egyptian pet mummies**

http://web.archive.org/web/20031204004254/http://www.kahun.ucl.ac.uk /search/detailresults/detail.asp?01_objectidentifier=UC7196 //(Link is to an archive)//
 * Mud Crocodile Toy**

http://web.archive.org/web/20031204145211/http://www.kahun.ucl.ac.uk /search/detail/results/detail.asp?01_objectidentifier=UC16686 //(Link is to an archive)//
 * Wooden Doll (12th Dynasty)**

http://web.archive.org/web/20040405130058/http://www.kahun.ucl.ac.uk /search/detail/results/detail.asp?01_objectidentifier=UC16722 //(Link is to an archive)//
 * Pottery Game Board**

@http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/
 * Aspects of Life in Ancient Eqypt**