Five Facts About Ancient Egypt: Debunked
We’re all pretty familiar with the ins and outs of ancient Egypt. We all know about the pyramids, moses, cleopatra, mummies! But what if we told you that everything you thought you knew about ancient Egypt is more of less a lie? Don’t believe us? Read on to find out the truth about this mystical time.
1 — People who built the pyramids of ancient Egypt were not slaves
Many of us are familiar with the image of Egyptian slaves hauling bricks while getting shouted at by a slave driver, but research shows that the pyramids were actually built by workers who were given fair pay and benefits! Who knew!?
This all came to light when a tomb was discovered in ancient Egypt that was said to be 4000 years old in the ancient pyramids of Giza. The evidence found in this tomb showed that believe it or not, the people who built the pyramids were not slaves, but were in fact, paid workers. This certainly goes against that popular trope of Egyptian slaves hauling bricks while getting whipped in the back!
12 skeletons were found in the shaft of the tomb with items like beverage jars and remnants of bread which was the first sign that these “workers” were being paid, respected and allowed to take breaks during their workday. Slaves would not have been allowed such things and would have most likely eaten when they could, on the job. It was rough being a slave, make no mistake.
In the tomb housed 12 skeletons of pyramid builders which were preserved by dry sand. These tombs were discovered close to the Giza pyramids extending outside a burial location in Cairo that was dug up back in the 1990s, dated to the 4th dynasty (which lands around 2575–2467 BC). Funnily enough, it was a tourist who actually was the first to discover the graves of the builders. Chief archaeologist, Mr. Zahi Hawas, confirmed that the discovery shows the workers were given salaries and weren’t forced to work for free like the slaves we’re used to seeing in the movies. The former director of the Berlin museum, Dieter Wildung, mentioned that the people who built the pyramids were paid workers and that this is “common knowledge in serious Egyptology.” Mr. Wildung also commented that “The myth of the slaves building pyramids is only the stuff of tabloids and Hollywood” and that “The world has a hard time believing that the pyramids of ancient Egypt weren’t built through oppression and forced labor, but out of loyalty to the pharaohs.” But it’s true.
Mr. Hawas also said that the workers came from needy families, but were still respected for their work. In fact, the ones who died during construction were given the great honor of being buried near the sacred tombs of the pharaohs they served. The closeness of the workers’ tombs and the manner in which they prepared the burials for the afterlife fully supports the concept that they were more than likely, paid pyramid builders. Hawass goes on to say that “no way would they have been buried so honorably if they were slaves.” Remember, the pyramids were a huge deal in Egypt at the time they were being built. Everyone knew it was an important, special thing and those who got to build them were considered honorable, good men.
Mr. Hawas says that the men who built the pyramids ate meat regularly and worked in three-month shifts which was not something slaves would have typically done. Also, according to Mr. Hawas, it would take 10,000 workers about 30 years to create one monument, what a feat!
“Although the builders were not slaves, they lived a life of back-breaking labor,” said Mr. Adel Okasha, supervisor of the excavation. The skeletons of builders had signs of arthritis and issues in the lower vertebrae, indicating a presence of hardship. Mr. Okasha says that these discoveries prove that pyramid builders were definitely not slaves, but let’s not sugar-coat this here, they lived a short life. Skeletal studies show that they suffered from bad health, likely because of how hard their work was. So they worked like a slave, but weren’t paid like one. Interesting…
2 — Women had social and legal rights
In ancient Egypt, women had way more rights and privileges than you’re probably imagining right now. For example…women owned their own property. That’s right! Their own property. They weren’t considered to be a mere extension of their husbands but were at times considered to be the sole owners of a given property. Not exactly what people would have assumed a woman’s life would entail in that era. But it’s true. Not only that, but they were also treated the same as men were in the court of law. Issues like “emotional instability” and “weakness” weren’t considered in a court of law and women were treated with the same level of respect and dignity as the men were. There are also ancient depictions of Egyptian women who are shown to be very active in society taking on roles such as party hosts and temple member staff. Take one look at Egyptian art and you can see women depicted in a respectful and honorable way. They were shown as being workers in society who contributed just as much as the men.
Another common Epyptian image you’ve most definitely seen before is groups of rural women harvesting wheat which in other cultures was usually done by farm hands and slaves. Women in other cultures would be cast away to doing house work or considered too weak to handle these sorts of tasks, but not in Egypt. Egypt was very progressive on the way they treated women and believed that women are strong enough to work in the fields with the men. There are also images of Egyptian women doing vital tasks such as tomb inscription and calligraphy. There were also women who were involved in funerary, politics, and religious activities. They had the right to inherit money or property without the consent of a male family member and had complete control over their finances and spending. Another thing worth mentioning about the ancient Egyptians is that they viewed women as producers of life. Giving birth to children is a highly important part of their civilization as should it be in any society. Bringing a new life into this world was seen as an honorable thing. This made women highly regarded citizens in ancient Egyptian culture.
3 — Not everyone was mummified
Don’t think you know everything about mummies just because you’ve seen one in a movie. The mummification process of ancient Egypt wasn’t as easy as you probably think it is. It took a lot more than just wrapping fabric around a dead body. It was a very complicated process that was also very expensive and time consuming. Contrary to popular belief mummification mummification was not something everyone in Egypt did, you really had to be well off in order to have a mummification ceremony after you die. It was commonly reserved for people of high social status. Noblemen and women and of course royalty including pharaohs and their families had the honor of being wrapped post-death. When a person died, they would be brought to the local embalmer to buy the best plan for their deceased loved one. They were usually given three choices. The first one states that the deceased will be represented by Osiris in the afterlife. The second one, which is an intermediate plan; states that the deceased will not completely be represented by Osiris in the afterlife but will still be treated well. And the third one states that you may only get a little bit of respect in the afterlife. The higher ranked nobility can easily opt for the first option since money is no object to them. Sounds a little scammy…but the way a corpse is treated after they die was considered to be the deciding factor on how they will be treated in the spirit world. Wrapping the body had a lot of value, it was a sure-fire way that you’ll make it safely to the higher realm after you die. If you don’t, then you risk getting stuck in purgatory, in the underworld and live as a ghost, trapped between worlds.
The people who would perform this highly respected ritual were called embalmers who would also act as temple priests. However, these guys weren’t your average priests. Since the process of mummification in ancient Egypt required a deep understanding of human body parts, the embalmer had to have similar training to a doctor. The procedure itself was very serious and the embalmer would have to go through a rigorous routine and recite special prayers during the mummification procedure in order to send the spirit off to its final home.
4 — The pyramids are essentially massive tombs
When it all comes down to it, a pyramid is essentially a giant tomb made especially to house a pharaoh’s body. In ancient Egypt, people believed that the preservation of the body was incredibly important. The body must be dressed, wrapped and blessed so that it is recognized by his/her soul in the afterlife. In every pyramid, there is a sarcophagus or “casket” made from durable materials in order to protect the pharaoh in their journey to the afterlife. The pyramids were filled with all kinds of treasure and most of it belonged to the pharaoh to help him gain back his power when he would become resurrected. His prized possessions were kept near the sarcophagus and included clothing, jewelry, stone carvings, luxury items, food and even boats. There are myths about pharaohs coming back to life after dying for several years. Whether these are true or not…we’re not sure. It looks like people really believed in it though and had a huge amount of respect or their kings and queens. These huge pyramid constructions were built to last forever and withstand the harshest of weather for many, many years. The death of a Pharaoh was a big deal because his death represented the rising and setting of the sun. The life of a Pharaoh is represented by the deity, Horus which was believed to be the one that held up the sun while the Pharaoh was alive. And when the Pharaoh died, it was Osiris who set the sun.
5 — Cats were just as important as people
It all began when the sun deity, Re, became very furious with mankind and wanted to punish people for their sins and misbehavior. So, he decided to send his daughter, Sekhmet, to restore law and order amongst the lands of ancient Egypt. Sekhmet was sort of terrifying, had a lion head and was considered to be a very powerful and violent daughter. She was so violent, that Re immediately regretted sending her to the earth and wanted to immediately stop the blood she was spilling. So, her father gave her a type of red substance similar to an ale that is supposed to make the drinker calm and gentle. She suddenly transformed from a lioness into a peaceful, loving cat. The “Mau” as it’s called in the ancient Egyptian language, became a very sacred animal. They gained their respect because of their ability to hunt pests such as snakes, rats and scorpions that often would attack granaries and food storages. Their god equivalent is Mafdet or “Maftet” who is a cat deity with a female body and the head of a cat. She would protect the people of ancient Egypt against scorpions and venomous snakes. She was also the protector of the king’s chamber along with other sacred places. Evidence shows that cats received the same mummification process as their human counterparts indicating their importance in ancient Egyptian society. Killing or harming a cat was considered an incredibly serious crime, possibly even punishable by death. When a cat’s life ended, a funeral was held for the animal complete with mummification as well as a priest if the family could afford it.
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