BarakaBits
  • Business
    • Social Entrepreneurship
    • Women-Led Enterprises
    • Youth in Business
  • The Arts
    • Art & Photography
    • Books, Blogs & Poetry
    • Design, Fashion & Architecture
    • Music
    • Theater & Dance
    • TV, Film & Online Video
  • Dailylife
    • Challenge to Change
    • Discovery
    • DIY & Life Hacks
    • Food for Thought
    • Heritage
    • Travel
    • Wellness Inside Out
  • Education
    • #NeverStopLearning
    • Classroom 2.0
    • The VIP Section
  • Environment
    • Green Policy
    • Sustainable Design
    • Upcycling & Recycling
  • Science & Tech
    • Lab to Life
  • #Barakability
    • AMENA
    • Memory Bank
    • Opportunities
    • Portraits
  • Countries
  • Submit a Story
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Subscription Form
BarakaBits
  • Business
    • Social Entrepreneurship
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Women-Led Enterprises
    • Youth in Business
  • The Arts
    • Art & Photography
    • Books, Blogs & Poetry
    • Design, Fashion & Architecture
    • Music
    • Theater & Dance
    • TV, Film & Online Video
  • Dailylife
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Science & Tech
  • #Barakability
  • عربي
  • Heritage
  • Lifestyle

Throwback Thursday: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Ancient Egypt

  • September 25, 2014
  • No comments
  • 3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
47
0
0
0
0
0

Ancient Egypt is one of the most fascinating periods of history in the MENA region. The Ancient Egyptians were extremely advanced in many ways, and we list a few surprising facts about their lifestyles that you may not know.

1) Pharaohs were actually a bit on the hefty side – Although Ancient Egyptian royalty were often pictured as muscular, well-sculpted beings, most research suggests they were actually quite plump. Comfortably plump. It’s been commonly stated that the Ancient Egyptians diet consisted of loads of bread, honey and alcoholic beverages which were high in sugar and carbohydrates. Many royal mummy examinations have given signs that they were over weight, and some even suffered from diabetes. Hatshepsut, the Queen who ruled as a pharaoh in the 15th century, was recently discovered to not have been the slender image she is often depicted as, but rather, quite plump and hairy.

2) They weren’t drag queens, but men and women BOTH wore makeup – Ancient Egyptians slathered on the makeup, partially because they believed it gave them protection from the gods Ra and Horus. Kohl that lined their eyes were made by grinding various materials, some of which even included beetles. Women were also known to color their cheeks with paint, and paint their nails with henna. Being that many of these cosmetics were lead-based, they also helped protect their eyes from bacterial infections and bugs.

3) Actually…slaves didn’t build the pyramids – Contrary to popular belief, the royals didn’t make slaves build the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Evidence suggests that actually the tombs were built by paid laborers who actually were quite skilled at their craft (as evidence shows… I mean, all the pyramids are basically still in tact, as if vacuum sealed!) Herodotus, the Greek historian, was the first to suggest that slaves built the pyramids but Egyptologists have found much research that suggests otherwise.

4) They loved a good “game night” – Hieroglyphics have often depicted Egyptians sitting around, relaxing and playing what might be deemed today as “board games”. One of the most popular games, as depicted through various paintings including one found in Queen Nerertari‘s tomb, is called Senet. The game dates all the way back to 3100 BC, and was played on a painted board with 30 squares. Though Senet’s actual rules are still debated, the popularity of the game amongst Ancient Egyptians is not.

5) They created the first pregnancy tests – As documented in Egyptian medical papyri found in the Egyptian Museum of Berlin, Ancient Egyptians had several methods of testing for pregnancy. One of the methods was to give the woman a concoction of beer and dates and wait to see her reaction; if she vomited, it was said she was most likely pregnant. Another method was that a woman would urinate on a bag of wheat and barley, and if the bags grew, she was believed to be pregnant.

Did any of these surprise you? Do you know of any other interesting Ancient Egyptian facts? Tell us in the comments below!

47
0
0
0
Share 47
Tweet 0
Total
47
Shares
Share 47
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Related Topics
  • AncientEgypt
  • AncientMakeUp
  • barakability
  • BarakaBits
  • BoardGames
  • Cairo
  • Egypt
  • Egyptian
  • EgyptianFacts
  • EgyptianHistory
  • Facts
  • factsaboutancientegypt
  • heritage
  • History
  • Lifestyle
  • Listicle
  • MakeUp
  • MENA
  • Nefertari
  • Nostalgia
  • Senet
  • Tbt
  • ThrowbackThursday
Lena Kassicieh

Lena Kassicieh, a socio-cultural researcher, journalist and photographer, brings a diverse analytical perspective to BarakaBits. Of Palestinian descent, Lena writes inspiring stories about individuals and organizations working to improve their local communities. Her love of the MENA region shines through her work, and her energy, voice and perspective have been a cornerstone of BarakaBits vision.

Previous Article
غلاف ألبوم فرقة بينك فلويد الجديد
  • #Barakability
  • Art & Photography
  • Music
  • The Arts

How Did Pink Floyd Choose an Egyptian to Design Their New Album Cover?

  • September 25, 2014
View Post
Next Article
Laughter Yoga in Lebanon Helps Syrian refugees
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • NGOs, Nonprofits & Charities
  • Wellness Inside Out

Laughter Yoga in the One Place You Would Never Expect

  • September 25, 2014
View Post

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

You May Also Like
View Post
  • Lifestyle

5 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Dishwasher

  • April 29, 2021
View Post
  • Lifestyle

Random Video Calling Apps: Your Doorway to the World

  • January 19, 2021
Palace of Golden Horses, Malaysia
View Post
  • Lifestyle

Arabian Falcon Holidays: Everything You Need to Know

  • November 23, 2020
View Post
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel

A Foreigners Guide to Dubai

  • November 7, 2020
View Post
  • Lifestyle

Plastic Surgeon Dr. Ghofrani

  • February 24, 2020
View Post
  • Lifestyle

Top 5 golf courses in the Middle East

  • February 17, 2020
View Post
  • Lifestyle

Importance of Confidentiality for plastic surgery

  • February 16, 2020
View Post
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel

The Benefit of a Second Passport for Business, and How to Get One

  • September 30, 2019

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending
  • 1
    Six Reasons to Invest in Dubai Property
  • 2
    How Does a Sharia Mortgage Work?
  • 3
    Joining the Healthcare Industry with an Online Degree
  • 4
    3 Must-Haves in a Job Listing Post
  • 5
    5 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Dishwasher
Get some good news to your email

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

Countries
Libya Yemen Algeria Jordan United Arab Emirates Turkey Iraq Syria Oman Tunisia Egypt Saudi Arabia Iran Morocco Palestine Lebanon Kuwait QatarBahrain
Stay Connected
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube Subscribers
Categories
  • Business
  • The Arts
  • Lifestyle
  • Education
  • Environment
  • #Barakability
Company
  • About Us
  • Archives
  • Intern at BarakaBits
  • Submit a Story
  • Why Advertise With Us?
  • Contact Us
BarakaBits
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
Good News from the Middle East

Input your search keywords and press Enter.