One of the everyday tools in ancient Egyptian life was the sieve, which helped process grain and was used as the final stage in sifting of wheat before grinding. In this article, you will learn more facts concerning the everyday living practices of ancient Egyptians.
Ancient Cooking Tool
Comprised of palm leaves and sticks, this piece of equipment possessed a broad surface, but was still lightweight enough to stay a practical tool for ancient farmers. Before there were grinding mills, mortars and pestles , the sieve was the tool of choice , used for crushing, grinding and mixing an array of foods, including grains, olives, grapes, beans, and spices. Although the sieve was not large, it was efficient enough to produce flour that one family could use for one day.
Ladies and Gentlemen , Paint Your Face
The women of ancient Egypt were not the only ones to wear cosmetics, as men also applied eye paint to their faces. While wild shades of red were not available at that time, they made due with shades of green (made from copper) and black, which came from lead. It was a belief of the ancient Egyptians that makeup possessed healing powers. During more traditional times, cosmetics were thought to deliver protection from the sun and weren’t used for ornamentation at first.
The Mighty Nile River
The Nile River was the lifeline of ancient Egypt, providing the people with water, food and a means for transportation. The Nile was also responsible for creating fertile lands for the Egyptians, where they could grow their crops and raise animals. Before the days of modern dams built about the Nile, a flood would come every year ,saturating the land on either side of the river. Thick mud emerged as a result, which aided in crop growing.
The Key to a Long Life?
Ramses the Great was a pretty busy man during his lifetime. Not only did he have eight official wives, but he also took almost 100 concubines. When he died in 1212 BC, he was more than 90 years old.
An Important Bird of the Times
Ancient Egyptians kept individual pigeons inside larger buildings built specifically for their safe keeping. These structures were called dovecotes and served as nests for the birds. Regions throughout ancient Egypt sometimes kept more than 4,000 pigeons at some point in time. The birds were bred for food, but their droppings also served a purpose and were used as a fertilizer. Sometimes, the pigeon also played a role in sacrificial rituals.
A Hair-Raising Fact
Pharoahs never allowed their hair to be seen in public and would always keep cover with a crown or a headdress (called a ‘nemes’). You can get a picture of what this type of head covering looked like when looking at images of King Tut in his golden mask wearing a striped cloth headdress.
Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu), located at Giza, was constructed around 2,570 BC. It is estimated that 2,300,000 large stone blocks were used in the process , weighing 7 million tons in all.