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Ancient Egypt: Everyday Life in the Land of the Nile
A vivid view of life in ancient Egypt. More than 5,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians founded one of the world's oldest civilizations. We know of its pyramids, art, and pharaohs. But what was life really like then? Ordinary citizens in ancient Egypt lived and worked in much the same ways as the average European of the eighteenth century, but ate better, had more practical clothing and lived more comfortably, in houses with patios, latrines, and cooling systems. Through deep investigative research, the authors explore the social and material existence in ancient Egypt-from what people ate and drank to how they worked, lived, played, and prayed. Features color and black-and-white images throughout, along with maps.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1999
36 people are currently reading
665 people want to read
About the author
Bob Brier
32 books171 followersRobert Brier (born December 13, 1943), also known as Mr. Mummy, is an American Egyptologist specializing in paleopathology. A Senior Research Fellow at Long Island University/LIU Post, he has researched and published on mummies and the mummification process and has appeared in many Discovery Civilization documentaries, primarily on ancient Egypt.
Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, Brier earned his bachelor's degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York. From 1966 to 1970, he was on the research staff of the Institute of Parapsychology (formerly the Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man) in Durham, North Carolina, where he worked on such books as Parapsychology Today and Test Your ESP. He earned his PhD in philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970 and began teaching at Long Island University in 1972. He served as chairman of the philosophy department from 1981 to 1996 and has also served as the director of the National Endowment for the Humanities' "Egyptology Today" program. He was appointed Senior Research Fellow at LIU Post in 2004. In addition to his career at Long Island University, Brier has taught ancient Egyptian at The New School and Egyptology at Webb Institute for many years.
Brier has conducted research in mummification practices worldwide. He has investigated well-known mummies such as Tutankhamen, Ramses the Great, Vladimir Lenin, Eva Perón (more commonly known as Evita), and the Medici family.
In 1994, Brier and a colleague, Ronald Wade, director of the State Anatomy Board of Maryland, claimed to be the first people in 2,000 years to mummify a human cadaver using ancient Egyptian techniques. This research earned Brier the affectionate nickname "Mr. Mummy" and was also the subject of the National Geographic television special of the same name, which made him a household name. He is also the host of several television programmes for the TLC Network including The Great Egyptians, Pyramids, Mummies and Tombs, and Mummy Detective. His research has been featured in Archaeology Magazine, The New York Times, CNN, 60 Minutes and 20/20.
In 1999, Brier gave a series of 48 specially-prepared lectures entitled "The History of Ancient Egypt" for The Teaching Company. He later did another series of 12 lectures for them, focusing on "Great Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt". Brier is a recipient of Long Island University's David Newton award for Teaching Excellence.
He leads tours to Egypt for Far Horizons Archaeological and Cultural trips.
Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, Brier earned his bachelor's degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York. From 1966 to 1970, he was on the research staff of the Institute of Parapsychology (formerly the Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man) in Durham, North Carolina, where he worked on such books as Parapsychology Today and Test Your ESP. He earned his PhD in philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970 and began teaching at Long Island University in 1972. He served as chairman of the philosophy department from 1981 to 1996 and has also served as the director of the National Endowment for the Humanities' "Egyptology Today" program. He was appointed Senior Research Fellow at LIU Post in 2004. In addition to his career at Long Island University, Brier has taught ancient Egyptian at The New School and Egyptology at Webb Institute for many years.
Brier has conducted research in mummification practices worldwide. He has investigated well-known mummies such as Tutankhamen, Ramses the Great, Vladimir Lenin, Eva Perón (more commonly known as Evita), and the Medici family.
In 1994, Brier and a colleague, Ronald Wade, director of the State Anatomy Board of Maryland, claimed to be the first people in 2,000 years to mummify a human cadaver using ancient Egyptian techniques. This research earned Brier the affectionate nickname "Mr. Mummy" and was also the subject of the National Geographic television special of the same name, which made him a household name. He is also the host of several television programmes for the TLC Network including The Great Egyptians, Pyramids, Mummies and Tombs, and Mummy Detective. His research has been featured in Archaeology Magazine, The New York Times, CNN, 60 Minutes and 20/20.
In 1999, Brier gave a series of 48 specially-prepared lectures entitled "The History of Ancient Egypt" for The Teaching Company. He later did another series of 12 lectures for them, focusing on "Great Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt". Brier is a recipient of Long Island University's David Newton award for Teaching Excellence.
He leads tours to Egypt for Far Horizons Archaeological and Cultural trips.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 31, 2014
Detailed account of Egyptian history and its customs and changes through time, I give it three stars because the authors still have pre-conceived notions about Egypt that they wrestle with throughout the book but at the same time they dispel popular myths about like the Egypt being constructed by slaves -they specifically give evidence using contemporary accounts that speak of no such thing. Egypt was a strict theocracy, the pharaoh was obviously at the top and working for food and a place to live (which was the method of payment in this civilization) was the main incentive to work on these massive structures. I was surprised by how abundant food was, and how healthy they ate. Hollywood and fiction always depicts them as very superstitious and ignorant but they were very intelligent and comprised some of the best medical texts at the time and their physicians knew more about how to treat injuries, fever and other ailments, than anybody else and while they had many gods, their religion didn't require them to pray five times a day, or recite from ancient texts every day or attend mass daily, instead they called their gods whenever it suited them, went to the temples whenever it suited them or when it was a religious holiday, much like our society does today.
I recommend this book for anyone that wants to know more about ancient Egypt and is tired of the terrible stereotypes.
I recommend this book for anyone that wants to know more about ancient Egypt and is tired of the terrible stereotypes.
not-going-to-finish
November 9, 2016I couldn't get past the introduction. It was the most condescending thing I've read in a while. Calling the Ancient Egyptians "helpless pets", comparing them to "modern times" and saying their view on the world was "closer to that of prehistoric cavemen"...
Nope, no thank you. I'll find another book about Egypt.
Nope, no thank you. I'll find another book about Egypt.
December 27, 2021
It was interesting information. I enjoyed learning about the everyday life. But the writing was at times condenscending and Euro-centric.
July 20, 2014
A readable account of ancient Egypt by two authors with an obvious love for their subject. They describe the richness of Egypt's material culture, the lovely artwork, the fine linens, papyrus writings, and the incredible longevity of the ancient Egyptian culture -- 3,000 years. Because of the periodic flooding of the Nile, the Egyptians grew crops in the rich sediment left behind, and were some of the best-fed people in the ancient world, and had time for other pursuits beyond scrambling to find food.
Egyptians crossed into foreign lands to fight wars, but rather than enlarging their territory, they carried back booty and captives to do hard labor such as making bricks from mud and straw (as described in the Bible).
The people described are in some ways so familiar, and yet so far removed from the present day. One thing I learned is that the word "Pharaoh" comes from the Bible, and originally meant "great house." This is not what the ancient Egyptians called their rulers, who had many names and were believed to have divine authority. Another interesting thing I learned was that Egyptians domesticated cattle long ago, and are believed to have drunk a lot of milk even as adults, so they must have had some degree of lactose tolerance as adults, unlike many people in the ancient world. One statement that I believe is incorrect is that Egyptians were the first to domesticate dogs, although the Saluki is certainly one of the oldest breeds.
All in all, however, a well-researched, accessible book, rich in detail.
The illustrations -- buildings, artwork, and of course, pyramids -- are fascinating. The number of illustrations probably had to be limited to make the cost of the volume reasonable, but even more would have been nice -- as the authors were describing the details of ancient dress and construction, I was sometimes scratching my head trying to visualize such unfamiliar things without a picture.
Egyptians crossed into foreign lands to fight wars, but rather than enlarging their territory, they carried back booty and captives to do hard labor such as making bricks from mud and straw (as described in the Bible).
The people described are in some ways so familiar, and yet so far removed from the present day. One thing I learned is that the word "Pharaoh" comes from the Bible, and originally meant "great house." This is not what the ancient Egyptians called their rulers, who had many names and were believed to have divine authority. Another interesting thing I learned was that Egyptians domesticated cattle long ago, and are believed to have drunk a lot of milk even as adults, so they must have had some degree of lactose tolerance as adults, unlike many people in the ancient world. One statement that I believe is incorrect is that Egyptians were the first to domesticate dogs, although the Saluki is certainly one of the oldest breeds.
All in all, however, a well-researched, accessible book, rich in detail.
The illustrations -- buildings, artwork, and of course, pyramids -- are fascinating. The number of illustrations probably had to be limited to make the cost of the volume reasonable, but even more would have been nice -- as the authors were describing the details of ancient dress and construction, I was sometimes scratching my head trying to visualize such unfamiliar things without a picture.
November 8, 2021
Confession- when I was bed bound for half of October I couldn't do a lot of reading. What I could do was play a lot of video games. And I played a lot of Assassins Creed Origins. Now I have a new hyperfixation and every book my library has on ancient Egypt is currently on hold.
For someone like me who has very limited knowledge on Egyptian history this was a very good place to start. I would call this a bit of an introductory textbook type of book, the kind you would use to give a middle schooler or high schooler an overview of a topic.
This book is 11 chapters and each chapter covers a different topic ranging from history, government, religion, diet, etc. It is by no means a thorough treatment of any of these topics. It is an excellent starting point for anyone coming to the subject with almost no previous knowledge who might want to learn a little more.
For someone like me who has very limited knowledge on Egyptian history this was a very good place to start. I would call this a bit of an introductory textbook type of book, the kind you would use to give a middle schooler or high schooler an overview of a topic.
This book is 11 chapters and each chapter covers a different topic ranging from history, government, religion, diet, etc. It is by no means a thorough treatment of any of these topics. It is an excellent starting point for anyone coming to the subject with almost no previous knowledge who might want to learn a little more.
September 30, 2016
I was expecting a rather dry but interesting book listing all the different aspects of ancient Egyptian life but it ended up being quite a bit more engaging, lively and fun to read.
Each chapter dealt with a different aspect of ancient Egypt, from their technology to religion and society down to the games their children played and each chapter gave you a feel for what life was like for them, how often very different from us they were and yet how similar.
The writing in the book is simple enough that it would definitely be a good one for young students studying ancient history but detailed and engaging enough that adult fans of history can get just as much if not more out of it. Well worth the read.
Each chapter dealt with a different aspect of ancient Egypt, from their technology to religion and society down to the games their children played and each chapter gave you a feel for what life was like for them, how often very different from us they were and yet how similar.
The writing in the book is simple enough that it would definitely be a good one for young students studying ancient history but detailed and engaging enough that adult fans of history can get just as much if not more out of it. Well worth the read.
February 13, 2015
This book was not what I expected. I didn't get much of an insight the Egyptian's way of life as the authors concentrated more on material things such as architecture, arts and technological developments rather than on people themselves. It's a good overview of Ancient Egyptian culture but I don't recommend it if you want to get an insight to daily life. For that, I recommend the book "Egypt in the age of the Pyramids" written by Guillemette Andreu: it's vivid, you really get an insight to the Egyptian everyday life.
March 17, 2023
In my opinion the book Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptian is an in depth book that accurately summarizes and display the world that the ancient Egyptian experienced that encompasses the Ptolemaic period from year 30-332, to the dynastic period 3150 B.C. ( the nine eras of Egyptian History). While reading I felt impressed how advanced the society was in the era when there was no internet or website to review books, they made their own stories,religion,government and in a way made life with scientists and medical advancements.
The text starts with the many gods of polytheistic Egyptian culture and civilization. From the present perspective leaves me with the repression that the entirety of it is derived in an insane delusion; with the routinely sacrificed person to the Ra the sun god or any of the several major gods that are given faith,they even have a god of gods. One of the most recognizable things are mummies but not the Halloween kind, the ones where organs are put in containers and pumped with an embalming like amber substance. This was an one of the most important thing that is even shown to be important in our time period, the Egyptians had an entire god Anubis dedicated to the the embalming and instruments: A dagger with Anubis perched on the handle and a special tool to pour the resin in. By the New Kingdom (1500 B.C) the Egyptian government was almost similar to modern styles with 4 different branches including: Army,Royal court,Religious hierarchy, and a civil government, With each having a sub section and members.
Looking at a different meaning, a book filled with the different accomplishments and facts about a civilization older than 3000 years ago shows the advancement that a society can make with time and in general shows the potential humanity holds, and similarity to things that we had to discover ourselves. Things like clothing and sandals all pre-dated modern civilization and the commonality in traditions like embalming to preserve the body and tombs that are filled with the dead. In conclusion a book about a 3000 year old civilization tackles the theme that anything can be accomplished with enough time and effort as the Egyptian made languages and art on cave walls that would be stared at and studied for hours, it changes you view on what can be be done with far less and also makes you wonder if in 3000 years what the next civilization will study and think of the statue of liberty and think how did they build that .
The text starts with the many gods of polytheistic Egyptian culture and civilization. From the present perspective leaves me with the repression that the entirety of it is derived in an insane delusion; with the routinely sacrificed person to the Ra the sun god or any of the several major gods that are given faith,they even have a god of gods. One of the most recognizable things are mummies but not the Halloween kind, the ones where organs are put in containers and pumped with an embalming like amber substance. This was an one of the most important thing that is even shown to be important in our time period, the Egyptians had an entire god Anubis dedicated to the the embalming and instruments: A dagger with Anubis perched on the handle and a special tool to pour the resin in. By the New Kingdom (1500 B.C) the Egyptian government was almost similar to modern styles with 4 different branches including: Army,Royal court,Religious hierarchy, and a civil government, With each having a sub section and members.
Looking at a different meaning, a book filled with the different accomplishments and facts about a civilization older than 3000 years ago shows the advancement that a society can make with time and in general shows the potential humanity holds, and similarity to things that we had to discover ourselves. Things like clothing and sandals all pre-dated modern civilization and the commonality in traditions like embalming to preserve the body and tombs that are filled with the dead. In conclusion a book about a 3000 year old civilization tackles the theme that anything can be accomplished with enough time and effort as the Egyptian made languages and art on cave walls that would be stared at and studied for hours, it changes you view on what can be be done with far less and also makes you wonder if in 3000 years what the next civilization will study and think of the statue of liberty and think how did they build that .
June 10, 2023
There’s a C.S. Lewis quote rattling around in my brain somewhere about people’s interpretations of history revealing more about the person in question than it does about actual history.
If the quote actually exists, then this would be the perfect place to apply it. Ancient Egypt by Brier and Hobbs does contain a fair amount of facts about certain aspects of Ancient Egypt (government, bureaucracy, medicine, food, architecture, etc.) but also proves to be quite revealing about Brier and Hobbs themselves.
For some reason, these writers cannot stop comparing Ancient Egypt with our “modern” (read: advanced, civilized, agnostic) times. They praise the Egyptians lavishly for their “modern” impulses in pyramid building and engineering, yet scratch their heads over how such an “advanced” civilization could *possibly* be religious and believe in gods (gasp!).
I know far too little of Ancient Egypt to dispute their facts about food and architecture (hence, why I’m reading this beginner book) but I do know a fair bit about ancient religions and mythologies, and I can report that Brier and Hobbs’ handling of Egyptian religion is abysmal and even insulting, as the reader is continually reassured that “these are only myths.” Gee, thanks, I was really worried.
I certainly know more about Ancient Egypt than I did before, and also a bit too much about these writers and their odd prejudices against a past they do not seem to want to understand.
3 stars.
If the quote actually exists, then this would be the perfect place to apply it. Ancient Egypt by Brier and Hobbs does contain a fair amount of facts about certain aspects of Ancient Egypt (government, bureaucracy, medicine, food, architecture, etc.) but also proves to be quite revealing about Brier and Hobbs themselves.
For some reason, these writers cannot stop comparing Ancient Egypt with our “modern” (read: advanced, civilized, agnostic) times. They praise the Egyptians lavishly for their “modern” impulses in pyramid building and engineering, yet scratch their heads over how such an “advanced” civilization could *possibly* be religious and believe in gods (gasp!).
I know far too little of Ancient Egypt to dispute their facts about food and architecture (hence, why I’m reading this beginner book) but I do know a fair bit about ancient religions and mythologies, and I can report that Brier and Hobbs’ handling of Egyptian religion is abysmal and even insulting, as the reader is continually reassured that “these are only myths.” Gee, thanks, I was really worried.
I certainly know more about Ancient Egypt than I did before, and also a bit too much about these writers and their odd prejudices against a past they do not seem to want to understand.
3 stars.
January 18, 2016
I was expecting a rather dry but interesting book listing all the different aspects of ancient Egyptian life but it ended up being quite a bit more engaging, lively and fun to read.
Each chapter dealt with a different aspect of ancient Egypt, from their technology to religion and society down to the games their children played and each chapter gave you a feel for what life was like for them, how often very different from us they were and yet how similar.
The writing in the book is simple enough that it would definitely be a good one for young students studying ancient history but detailed and engaging enough that adult fans of history can get just as much if not more out of it. Well worth the read.
Each chapter dealt with a different aspect of ancient Egypt, from their technology to religion and society down to the games their children played and each chapter gave you a feel for what life was like for them, how often very different from us they were and yet how similar.
The writing in the book is simple enough that it would definitely be a good one for young students studying ancient history but detailed and engaging enough that adult fans of history can get just as much if not more out of it. Well worth the read.
February 4, 2015
This is a book in a series written for Young Adults; it is particularly good for high school reports. Nevertheless, the accuracy (it's written by actual scholars in the field) and excellent organization make it a useful reference for the general reader as well. The historical introduction is somewhat skimpy, but the description of daily life is good and up-to-date. Despite being 40 years older than the target audience, I'm looking forward to reading other books in this Greenwood series. (There is now a second edition, which I haven't seen; this review is of the original book.)
June 22, 2018
Ancient Egypt was a very informative book that discussed different aspects of Egyptian life. I felt, although the book was very diverse in the different phases of Ancient Egyptian’s culture, that it did not live up to the subtitle that it would cover the ‘Every Day Life’ of the average Egyptian. The book was more about the elitist citizen. It however covered some areas of interest: weapons, food, clothing, makeup, wars, and other aspects. I enjoyed learning some nuances that other books I have read did not to the extent that it further the understanding and appreciation of this time period.
December 10, 2022
I did not know that you could do that!
Everything that you ever wanted to know about daily life and then some. The book does not have much depth on any one subject but must more with subjects than a book ten times its size.
If you are only going to read one book in Egypt this is it. If you have several shelves this book has a fresh approach to many subjects. For example, I have several books on Egyptian mathematics from layman to temple. This is the first time I saw the fraction system relating to different parts of the Eye of Horus.
The notes, biography, and index are also quite short. No color.
Everything that you ever wanted to know about daily life and then some. The book does not have much depth on any one subject but must more with subjects than a book ten times its size.
If you are only going to read one book in Egypt this is it. If you have several shelves this book has a fresh approach to many subjects. For example, I have several books on Egyptian mathematics from layman to temple. This is the first time I saw the fraction system relating to different parts of the Eye of Horus.
The notes, biography, and index are also quite short. No color.
November 22, 2024
This is not the type of book I usually gravitate towards, but recently I picked it up in my local library. After standing in the aisle reading for half an hour, I decided to check it out and bring it home.
It’s actually a fascinating read. Unlike lots of historical non-fiction, it doesn’t drone on with dates and names that no cares about. The authors give just enough detail to inform, but keep the narrative going and the facts interesting to the common reader.
Ultimately I really enjoyed it as a primer and a quick glimpse into the lives of ancient Egyptians.
It’s actually a fascinating read. Unlike lots of historical non-fiction, it doesn’t drone on with dates and names that no cares about. The authors give just enough detail to inform, but keep the narrative going and the facts interesting to the common reader.
Ultimately I really enjoyed it as a primer and a quick glimpse into the lives of ancient Egyptians.
May 30, 2019
Book 7
Glorious and Mysterious Egypt
Ancient Egypt has always been a mystery for me. It is extraordinary, how they precocious they are in many areas, writing, agricultural techniques, medicine, production, architecture tax and political systems, they were thousands of years ahead of their time, but their view of the world was primeval and naive, closer to a prehistoric caveman's than ours. They worshiped numerous gods who represented natural elements and events, they though spirits controlled every natural phenomenon, which left them powerless in the face of gods' wrath, dependent only on prayers.
Yet there has been no other civilization to witness such a long-standing prosperity and power. Their 3,000 year history exists now only in the tombs, temples and other legacy scattered around the world. It gives me goose bumps when I think about it.
Yesterday, I finished reading "Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians" by Bob Brier and Hoyt Hobbs. Surprisingly, this non-fiction book on history turned out to be more engaging than a few novels that I'd read before.
For those interested in this issue, the book will be a great asset. It is an easy read. It gives a detailed insight into the world of the Ancient Egyptians, but the text is neither overloaded nor lofty. I'd say it is a perfect choice for those who are, like me, quite familiar with the Egyptian history, but want to organize this knowledge and get a more detailed picture.
The book covers every significant sphere of the Ancient Egyptians' life, history, religion, government, society, work, play, food, clothes and adornments, arts and crafts, architecture, technology and construction, warfare, medicine and sciences. In addition, there are plenty of photos, maps and tables to illustrate the material.
I want to share the facts which I found most interesting.
1. Egyptians believed that gods will recreate whatever they saw in a man's tomb, so Egyptians decorated the tombs with paintings they most enjoyed.
2. Despite all the secrets Ancient Egypt is steeped in, its success and greatness may be explained simply by its location. It is believed that the Nile is the key to understanding Egypt's power. The annual floods of the Nile provided Egyptians with crops more predictable and stable than in other areas where people depended on rains. It also made soil very fertile and easy to plow. As a result, more food was grown with less manpower than in other countries, which gave Egypt a surplus to trade and time to devote to matters other than mere survival.
3. It is considered that the history of Ancient Egypt started in Predynastic times around 3150 B.C. and ended in 30 B.C. with the death of Cleopatra and Egypt's surrender to Rome. Well, beauty doesn't always save the world, does it?
4. There was only one short period, 16 years, in Ancient Egyptian history when Egypt became monotheistic. Pharaoh Akhenaten came up with the idea of one god, Aten. People continued worshiping their numerous gods though. After Akhenaten's death, his religion was obliterated as well as any memories of him and his family. By the way, the members of his family are also notoriously famous. His wife was the most beautiful woman in history, Nefertiti. His son Tutankhamen, murdered young, is the only pharaoh whose tomb hadn't been robbed before archaeologists discovered it.
5. Speaking about the tombs, they were desecrated not in our times as many believe, this happened after the collapse of the Old Kingdom, in 2181, when a long period of turmoil started in Egyptian history. It ended in 2040 when the Middle Kingdom began.
6. Ancient Egyptians didn't have notions of hell or heaven, but all people were judged after death, the corrupted hearts of sinners were thrown to a creature called the Great Devourer. After this sinners just stopped to exist.
7. Dark and scary Anubis, the god with a head of jackal, is merely the god of embalming.
8. Ancient Egyptians didn't have prisons. Criminals could be beaten, mutilated, executed, sent to mines or quarries, or exiled.
9. Ancient Egyptians didn't kiss. One of the signs of affection was to rub noses.
10. Pharaohs had harems and one royal wife.
11. They didn't have money until epoch of Ptolemies, the last dynasty. To trade something, they used barter.
12. They also didn't have days of the week and weekends. They worked all the time, except major religious holidays. They had three seasons with four months in each. Despite being nameless, each day was marked in calendar as representing specific theological events. They had a 24 hour day, but minutes and seconds didn't exist. Hour spans were measured by special candles with marks down their sides or by lines on a bowl that showed the water remaining after steady dripping.
13. No schools existed, only sons of scribes, higher officials and sometimes children of farmers could attend temples for instruction of letters. The rest were illiterate.
I stop at my favourite number 13:) Hope you'll find this trivia interesting.
I give this book 10 out of 10.
My next book, which I have already started, is "The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Amarna and Its People" by Barry Kemp. This one is of great interest for me since my next novel about the detective Cassandra Ayers is about the excavation of Akhenaten's tomb. This book is bigger, so I give myself three days, May 30 - June 1.
Glorious and Mysterious Egypt
Ancient Egypt has always been a mystery for me. It is extraordinary, how they precocious they are in many areas, writing, agricultural techniques, medicine, production, architecture tax and political systems, they were thousands of years ahead of their time, but their view of the world was primeval and naive, closer to a prehistoric caveman's than ours. They worshiped numerous gods who represented natural elements and events, they though spirits controlled every natural phenomenon, which left them powerless in the face of gods' wrath, dependent only on prayers.
Yet there has been no other civilization to witness such a long-standing prosperity and power. Their 3,000 year history exists now only in the tombs, temples and other legacy scattered around the world. It gives me goose bumps when I think about it.
Yesterday, I finished reading "Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians" by Bob Brier and Hoyt Hobbs. Surprisingly, this non-fiction book on history turned out to be more engaging than a few novels that I'd read before.
For those interested in this issue, the book will be a great asset. It is an easy read. It gives a detailed insight into the world of the Ancient Egyptians, but the text is neither overloaded nor lofty. I'd say it is a perfect choice for those who are, like me, quite familiar with the Egyptian history, but want to organize this knowledge and get a more detailed picture.
The book covers every significant sphere of the Ancient Egyptians' life, history, religion, government, society, work, play, food, clothes and adornments, arts and crafts, architecture, technology and construction, warfare, medicine and sciences. In addition, there are plenty of photos, maps and tables to illustrate the material.
I want to share the facts which I found most interesting.
1. Egyptians believed that gods will recreate whatever they saw in a man's tomb, so Egyptians decorated the tombs with paintings they most enjoyed.
2. Despite all the secrets Ancient Egypt is steeped in, its success and greatness may be explained simply by its location. It is believed that the Nile is the key to understanding Egypt's power. The annual floods of the Nile provided Egyptians with crops more predictable and stable than in other areas where people depended on rains. It also made soil very fertile and easy to plow. As a result, more food was grown with less manpower than in other countries, which gave Egypt a surplus to trade and time to devote to matters other than mere survival.
3. It is considered that the history of Ancient Egypt started in Predynastic times around 3150 B.C. and ended in 30 B.C. with the death of Cleopatra and Egypt's surrender to Rome. Well, beauty doesn't always save the world, does it?
4. There was only one short period, 16 years, in Ancient Egyptian history when Egypt became monotheistic. Pharaoh Akhenaten came up with the idea of one god, Aten. People continued worshiping their numerous gods though. After Akhenaten's death, his religion was obliterated as well as any memories of him and his family. By the way, the members of his family are also notoriously famous. His wife was the most beautiful woman in history, Nefertiti. His son Tutankhamen, murdered young, is the only pharaoh whose tomb hadn't been robbed before archaeologists discovered it.
5. Speaking about the tombs, they were desecrated not in our times as many believe, this happened after the collapse of the Old Kingdom, in 2181, when a long period of turmoil started in Egyptian history. It ended in 2040 when the Middle Kingdom began.
6. Ancient Egyptians didn't have notions of hell or heaven, but all people were judged after death, the corrupted hearts of sinners were thrown to a creature called the Great Devourer. After this sinners just stopped to exist.
7. Dark and scary Anubis, the god with a head of jackal, is merely the god of embalming.
8. Ancient Egyptians didn't have prisons. Criminals could be beaten, mutilated, executed, sent to mines or quarries, or exiled.
9. Ancient Egyptians didn't kiss. One of the signs of affection was to rub noses.
10. Pharaohs had harems and one royal wife.
11. They didn't have money until epoch of Ptolemies, the last dynasty. To trade something, they used barter.
12. They also didn't have days of the week and weekends. They worked all the time, except major religious holidays. They had three seasons with four months in each. Despite being nameless, each day was marked in calendar as representing specific theological events. They had a 24 hour day, but minutes and seconds didn't exist. Hour spans were measured by special candles with marks down their sides or by lines on a bowl that showed the water remaining after steady dripping.
13. No schools existed, only sons of scribes, higher officials and sometimes children of farmers could attend temples for instruction of letters. The rest were illiterate.
I stop at my favourite number 13:) Hope you'll find this trivia interesting.
I give this book 10 out of 10.
My next book, which I have already started, is "The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Amarna and Its People" by Barry Kemp. This one is of great interest for me since my next novel about the detective Cassandra Ayers is about the excavation of Akhenaten's tomb. This book is bigger, so I give myself three days, May 30 - June 1.
February 23, 2023
An approachable look at the complexities and realities of life in Ancient Egypt. Thorough but not exhaustive, informative but not dull, this book is part of a wider series of "Everyday Life In" books that all have a welcome place on my shelf as fun reference material that someone with no grounding in a subject can pick up and dig into if so inclined.
February 29, 2024
There's a lot of information packed in this book. Ancient Egyptian government, religion, architecture, daily life, agriculture, funerary customs, medicine, mathematics, and TONS more are all covered in its pages. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Egyptology. 👍👍
January 28, 2022
Fascinating overview of the lives of ordinary people in Ancient Egypt. I recommend any of Brier's books and lectures.
November 3, 2022
this was absolutely pussy to the max, I remember reading this and I was so excited.
November 27, 2022
A decent history but it doesn't cover what people did on a daily basis.
December 22, 2024
Wonderful resource for history!
November 9, 2016
So much of history, particularly ancient history, is about politics and powers. In the case of Egypt, this means the XXXIII dynasties of pharaohs. The Ancient Egyptians by Brier and Hobbs can't get away from all those pharaohs, but it also covers work, play, food, clothes, etc.
When archaeologists look back many thousands of years, many of their conclusions involve guessing. They are beyond the earlier archaeologists where the bias was to to confirm The Bible. Still today, when a chaotic city for pyramid workers is uncovered, someone can't help but suggest that the large workers' encampment lead the Greeks to identify it with the labyrinth on Crete. Such is the innate human drive to rationalize and explain.
Egyptian had a limited palette of colors:black, white, blue, red, yellow, and brown.
Interesting to writers, beyond bookkeeping, Egypt left significant "wisdom literature," simply called "instructions." These still seem familiar today.
The respectful man prospers.
Praised is the modest one.
The tent is open to the silent.
This is an excellent references for anyone interested in ancient Egypt from grade 4/5 to adult.
For lots more interesting trivia: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2016/1...
When archaeologists look back many thousands of years, many of their conclusions involve guessing. They are beyond the earlier archaeologists where the bias was to to confirm The Bible. Still today, when a chaotic city for pyramid workers is uncovered, someone can't help but suggest that the large workers' encampment lead the Greeks to identify it with the labyrinth on Crete. Such is the innate human drive to rationalize and explain.
Egyptian had a limited palette of colors:black, white, blue, red, yellow, and brown.
Interesting to writers, beyond bookkeeping, Egypt left significant "wisdom literature," simply called "instructions." These still seem familiar today.
The respectful man prospers.
Praised is the modest one.
The tent is open to the silent.
This is an excellent references for anyone interested in ancient Egypt from grade 4/5 to adult.
For lots more interesting trivia: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2016/1...
December 3, 2021
- Very good writing: simple to grasp, yet captivating and inviting.
- Aimed at general readers and being part of the Greenwood Press’ Daily Life Through History series, the book follows the series’ standard format and is thus divided into chapters that cover specific subject, which facilitates all the reading purposes and gives readers a clear view of all aspects of daily life of the Ancient Egyptians.
- I read the Second Edition, published in 2008. Not too “ancient”, but the book seems very outdated, with practically no colored photos - mostly black and white sketches and drawings and lots of unnecessary descriptions of technical details of temples, buildings, etc. that are hard to imagine without visual aids anyway. All the measurements are given in the obsolete American standards of foot, inch, mile, Fahrenheit, etc., which the rest of the world doesn’t use and thus are quite useless.
https://binhinlovewithbooks.blogspot....
Welcome to my reading blog, where I review the books that I read!!!
Updates are coming…
- Aimed at general readers and being part of the Greenwood Press’ Daily Life Through History series, the book follows the series’ standard format and is thus divided into chapters that cover specific subject, which facilitates all the reading purposes and gives readers a clear view of all aspects of daily life of the Ancient Egyptians.
- I read the Second Edition, published in 2008. Not too “ancient”, but the book seems very outdated, with practically no colored photos - mostly black and white sketches and drawings and lots of unnecessary descriptions of technical details of temples, buildings, etc. that are hard to imagine without visual aids anyway. All the measurements are given in the obsolete American standards of foot, inch, mile, Fahrenheit, etc., which the rest of the world doesn’t use and thus are quite useless.
https://binhinlovewithbooks.blogspot....
Welcome to my reading blog, where I review the books that I read!!!
Updates are coming…
December 17, 2013
I would say 3.5 stars. It was written more like a text book than I had hoped, but ended up being very informative and I enjoyed a lot of it. I found some of the topics, like government and warfare, uninteresting, but I know that my husband would love those chapters. I especially liked the chapters on arts and crafts, clothes and other adornments, work and play, and food. I really enjoyed reading about the building of the pyramids. This book is full of information and fun facts, and would be great for the history nut, and a good read for the rest of us. I would recommend it for ages 12 and up, and think it would be a great addition to any junior high, high school, or college world history class. You may read my full review on my book blog: www.the-readathon.blogspot.com.
July 5, 2014
A solid survey of how Ancient Egyptians lived. Brier and Hobbs makes their way methodically through the timeline -- having lasted almost 3,000 years, it's necessary to get some bearings about the multiple dynasties that ruled during the course of this civilization -- and then religion, government, architecture, technology, then more personable topics like food, clothing, and the arts.
I'm not sure this book would win over someone new to the subject, or necessarily impress anyone who's already done extensive research, but it's approachable if a little stolid. Occasionally some of the authors' passion will break through, but it's usually an exception rather than the rule, even though the reader's left with no doubt of how impressive the Egyptians' accomplishments were. The level of detail is well chosen, though, offering a close look without becoming overwhelming. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in learning more.
I'm not sure this book would win over someone new to the subject, or necessarily impress anyone who's already done extensive research, but it's approachable if a little stolid. Occasionally some of the authors' passion will break through, but it's usually an exception rather than the rule, even though the reader's left with no doubt of how impressive the Egyptians' accomplishments were. The level of detail is well chosen, though, offering a close look without becoming overwhelming. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in learning more.
April 29, 2016
As a complete newbie to Egyptology, this book was a really concise starting point.
I think if you are truly interested in the subject, then the straight-to-the-point, also text book like narrative will not be dull. I learned quite a lot, but I'll admit, at times there were so many pages dedicated to a subject I cared little about, and at other times, I felt like something could have been explained or delved into deeper.
My favorite quote from the book, which I didn't even know I needed in my life until I read it: "Patting an Egyptian head would have felt like rubbing a large, warm crayon."
I was hoping to read about 'everyday life', and while I did catch glimpses of it, I was a little bit disappointed. If you're hoping to read a book which explores the daily life of Ancient Egyptians, and their interactions and ways of life, this book may be okay for a starting point, but it probably isn't the best choice.
I think if you are truly interested in the subject, then the straight-to-the-point, also text book like narrative will not be dull. I learned quite a lot, but I'll admit, at times there were so many pages dedicated to a subject I cared little about, and at other times, I felt like something could have been explained or delved into deeper.
My favorite quote from the book, which I didn't even know I needed in my life until I read it: "Patting an Egyptian head would have felt like rubbing a large, warm crayon."
I was hoping to read about 'everyday life', and while I did catch glimpses of it, I was a little bit disappointed. If you're hoping to read a book which explores the daily life of Ancient Egyptians, and their interactions and ways of life, this book may be okay for a starting point, but it probably isn't the best choice.
January 6, 2014
This was a great read. Many history books focus on the big events and the key players. This little gem focuses on what everyday life would have been like if you or I had been born in this ancient civilization. What would you do? What kind of work? Play? What did you eat? What did you wear? Well you'd probably have ate lots of bread and drank lots of beer. Yep, beer, which the ancient Egyptians are credited with inventing. Maybe you would have been a priest, a rather sweet gig in which you worked for a month, then you got three off. Or maybe you would have been a bureaucrat, going to work in a small cubicle helping to keep the kingdom running smoothly. And what would you have been paid? Well in food and shelter, because the Egyptians didn't use any form of currency until after they were conquered by Alexander the Great. A great read for anyone interested in this ancient civilization.
October 19, 2023
I did not know that you could do that!
Everything that you ever wanted to know about daily life and then some. The book does not have much depth on any one subject but must more with subjects than a book ten times its size.
If you are only going to read one book in Egypt this is it. If you have several shelves this book has a fresh approach to many subjects. For example, I have several books on Egyptian mathematics from Layman to Temple. This was the first time I saw the fraction system relating to different parts of the Eye of Horus.
The notes, biography, and index are also quite short. No color.
Everything that you ever wanted to know about daily life and then some. The book does not have much depth on any one subject but must more with subjects than a book ten times its size.
If you are only going to read one book in Egypt this is it. If you have several shelves this book has a fresh approach to many subjects. For example, I have several books on Egyptian mathematics from Layman to Temple. This was the first time I saw the fraction system relating to different parts of the Eye of Horus.
The notes, biography, and index are also quite short. No color.
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March 12, 2022I occasionally will read a non-fiction book if it looks interesting to me. I have always been interested in Egypt and the Egyptian people. This book covers everything from the history to their medicine and mathematics. I enjoyed the chapters pertaining to "Work and Play", "Food" and "Clothes and Other Adornments" the most. If you have any interest in Egypt at all this would be a good book to read.
August 23, 2015
An interesting book in the series of Everyday Life of ancient civilizations. Egypt being among the first we are able to look at many topics in daily life religion to medicine and mathematics. The Egyptians seemed to be quite advanced in such ancient times and to this day the pyramids remain a mystery in many ways. Wars of course dominated these times and unfortunately never have seem to leave us.
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