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Homes The ancient Egyptians built homes of sun-dried bricks, made of mud and straw. To make the bricks, the ancient Egyptians invented brick molds. A mix of mud and straw was placed into the molds. Then, the molds were left out in the sun to dry. The desert heat dried the bricks for them. They could make a huge number of bricks easily. Their homes were huge. Homes had flat roofs. People often sat outside on their roofs in the evening to watch the sunset and catch the evening breeze. Noble’s Homes Nobles lived in huge villas along the Nile. Some were front with white limestone, which made the walls sparkle. A few homes were even built with stone. But stone was difficult to cut and use. Most homes were made of sun dried brick. Each villa had 25-30 rooms. Most rooms had a purpose. They had family rooms, guest rooms, storage rooms, kids rooms, and even bathrooms! Homes had front and back doors. Each door was built about 4 feet off the ground to reduce the amount of sand and dust. Each door was reached by a ramp. Rather than stairs, ramps led from one level to another inside the house. Peasant’s Homes A peasant's home was tiny by comparison. Still, it was very nice. Each peasant family had their own home. When you opened the door, you entered a courtyard. Inside the courtyard, a ramp led up to the front door of the house. Some homes had two stories, some had three or more. Ramps were used to move from level to level. One ramp led up to the flat roof. People often slept on their roofs. It was cooler, and quite lovely sleeping under the stars. Some peasants homes were huge, especially in the country. Nobody cared how big you built your home as long as you did it yourself in your own spare time. Since bricks were easy to make, and materials needed to make the bricks were freely found along the shores of the Nile, it was really up to each individual how big of a home they wished to have, especially in the country, where people had more room to build. Floor Plan Clothing Men wore tunics that reached their knees, while women wore tunics that went down to their feet. They were made of white linen, which is a scratchy fabric. Shoes They often went barefoot, but sometimes they wore straw or leather sandals. Makeup and Jewelry Both men and women wore blue and green eye shadow and black kohl eyeliner, when they were dressed up fancy. People also wore kohl around their eyes because it helped to keep the glare of sunlight down (which is why football players do the same thing today)! Both men and women wore gold jewelry if they could afford to. Perfume Only women wore scented fat on their head like perfume. …YIKES!! VOCAB WORD Pectoral- a necklace that covers the chest- made from gold and jewels. Entertainment in Egypt See posted pages on song and dance, toys and games, food and drink. Employment in Egypt Men could have many job choices in Ancient Egypt. They could be Scribes, Priests, Engineers and Architects, Builders and Artists, Soldiers, Farmers, Fishermen, and many others. Female Jobs Females were also able to do many jobs in Ancient Egypt. Some examples are: Hairdresser, Grinding Girl, Supervisor of the Cloth, Supervisor of the Wig Workshop, Treasurer, Steward, Composer, Songstress, Weaver, Dancer, Musician, Mourner, and Priestess. In pictures, females were often portrayed as having light skin because they supposedly spent so much time indoors. In real life, they worked outside just as much as men. Slaves Even though slaves were treated pretty awfully in Ancient Egypt, they were taken better care of there than in many other countries at the time. Slaves had a wide range of jobs in the Egyptian society. Some would be low life laborers and others would be government administrators. Vocab Word Fresco- a painting that covers an entire wall. How They Painted The size of the people in Egyptian art showed their importance: the pharaoh appeared bigger than the official, the master of the tomb bigger than his servants. The men were painted with reddish-brown bodies, the females had light-colored or yellow bodies. Temple Art The temple paintings explained the ceremonies that took place there. Famous Pharaohs Pharaohs were not only the King or Queen of Egypt, but they were also seen as the reincarnation of the God Horus. Being a reincarnation of such a powerful God gave the Pharaoh immeasurable power and respect which got a lot of things done. As Gods on Earth, ancient Egyptian Pharaohs had many responsibilities. They were the military, political and religious heads of state. They were also expected to vouch for their people to the Gods. Queen Hatshepsut She dressed as a man so that her people would take her more seriously. She was a great leader, who reigned peacefully, and brought her people prosperity. Thutmose III Thutmose was the military genius of his time. He understood the value of logistics and lines of supply, the necessity of rapid movement and sudden surprise attack. He lead by example and was also probably the first person in history to really utilize sea-power to support his campaigns. He was Queen Hatshepsut’s step-son. King Akhenaten He changed Egypt’s religion to monotheism, AND introduced new art… so he was basically a radical! He was the father of Tutankhamen. King Tutankhamen King Tut’s life is shrouded in mystery. He took the throne when he was little boy, 8 or 9! When he was young, he was probably ill quite a bit, because he was buried with several canes. But is also thought to have enjoyed games and hunting and sports, like most kids. His death is a mystery, but it is believed that he was murdered! He died when he was still a teenager. How He Would Have Looked Queen Cleopatra Cleopatra studied philosophy, literature, art, music, medicine, and was able to speak six different languages. She had the oomph factor - charisma, quick thinking ability and amazing persuasive powers. She wasn't an Egyptian! Contrary to the popular belief that she was beautiful, historians say she wasn't . They cite the proof from coins dating back to her time, which depict her with a hooked nose and masculine features. She was known for charming men. She seduced and married Julius Caesar, and later fell in love with Mark Antony. Mark Antony committed suicide on the battlefield after being misinformed about the death of Cleopatra. Shattered after hearing the news of the death of Mark Antony, she committed suicide by making an asp, an Egyptian cobra, bite her. Ugly or Beautiful?