Jewelry
Everyone in Egypt wore some type of jewelry. Both men and women wore jeweled or beaded collars, earrings, rings and bracelets. Wealthy people wore jewelry made of gold or silver and semi-precious stones, and the less affluent wore jewelry glazed with faience (powdered quartz).

Amulets - made of metal, wood, faience, terra cotta or stone - were worn as pendants. They were believed to bring good luck, and were worn as protection from evil or injury. Amulets were also wrapped into the bandages of mummies to offer protection during the arduous journey into the afterworld. Popular amulets included the scarab (dung beetle), which was a symbol for the renewal of life; the falcon, prized for its speed and keen eyesight; and the ankh, which symbolizes eternity. The ankh is also known as the Key of the Nile, representing the union of Isis and Osiris.

Clothing and Hair Styles
Clothing styles remained the same throughout the ancient culture. Clothes were usually made of linen (woven flax), wool or fur. Men wore long skirts and sometimes shirts; women wore dresses. In winter, wraps and cloaks were worn.

Hair was generally worn short. Young girls often wore pigtails. Men and women wore wigs, which were made of sheep's wool or human hair.

Both men and women wore eye makeup made from a black paste called kohl. In addition to providing adornment, kohl protected the eyes against insects and the harsh sunlight. Women wore rouge on their lips and cheeks, and decorated their hands with a reddish dye made from henna leaves.

Necklace
amethyst
© Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

This necklace of purple amethyst was found near Giza.

Cylindrical Vessel with Royal Inscription
alabaster
© Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Alabaster, or calcite, is abundant in Egypt, and was often used in making small household objects.

Government
The Pharaoh ruled Egypt. The word "pharaoh" is the Greek form of the Egyptian word meaning "the Great House." It originally referred not to the king, but to the palace, where government business was directed. From the New Kingdom on, "pharaoh" was often used to refer to the king himself. The King was thought to be related to the gods.

Religion and government were interrelated.The longevity and stability of Egyptian civilization was partly due to a rigid social and political structure that recognized the king's supreme importance as the sole representative of the people in appealing to the gods.

Food & Cooking
Food was prepared and cooked over open fires and in clay ovens heated with wood. Food was stewed, fried, grilled, roasted, boiled and baked. Beer was a popular beverage, and wealthy people enjoyed wine. Bread, made from wheat, was a staple. Egyptians also ate figs, beans, meat, melokhia (similar to spinach), lettuce, cucumbers, onions and eggs.

Mummification
Mummification involved an elaborate procedure. The physical body of an individual was preserved to serve as a vessel for the spirit of the deceased - the KA - for eternity.

The word "mummy" probably came from the Persian word, moumiya, meaning "bitumen," following the mistaken idea that the bodies preserved in Ancient Egypt were black because they were soaked in bitumen. (The black color was, in fact, a result of the oils, ointments, perfumes, and resins used in the embalming process.)

Priests in charge of embalming removed the internal organs from the body. They discarded the brain and preserved the intestines, stomach, liver, and lungs in containers called canopic jars. The heart and kidneys were placed back in the body cavity. The body was then thoroughly dried out. (In early Egypt, bodies were buried in the hot desert sand, where they were naturally desiccated. When entombment became common, it was necessary to use a natural salt - consisting of sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate - to complete the drying process.) The final step was to wrap the body in bandages made of linen. In addition to inserting amulets in the bandages, priests took care to preserve the face by placing a protective mask over it.