Ancient Egypt Daily Life

Introduction

The Nile River is 4,258 miles long and 2 miles wide. The daily life of the Egyptians revolved around the Nile River. The Egyptians had many things to do in their daily life. Some were cooking, clothing, and housing and furniture.

Food and Cooking

The Nile River provided all the Egyptians needed for eating. One of them was cooking. They didn’t have stoves so they often used clay ovens made from mud from the river. Wood was used for fuel. Almost all cooking was done outside. The poor would use dishes made of clay while the wealthy used dishes made of bronze, gold, or silver. The most popular beverage in Egypt was beer. They made their beer out of barley. You might have also found wine at the tables of the wealthy. The floodwaters of the Nile provided fertile land for farming.

Cosmetics/Makeup/Jewelry

They often bathed daily in fresh water from the river. When bathing instead of using soap they would use a cleansing cream. To prevent dry skin Egyptians would use a perfumed oil. Makeup was worn by men, women, and kids of all classes. They would wear eye paint called kohl. Also their hairstyles were very similar to today’s. They kept their hair short. Girls wore pigtails and boys shaved their heads except for one piece worn in a braid on the side. Men and women would wear wigs. Egyptians also wore jewelry. Poor wore copper or faience and the rich wore gold, silver, or electrum.

Clothing

Egyptians clothing was very simple. It was made of linen from the flax plant. Men would wear a short skirt called a kilt and women would wear straight fitting dresses or tunics. During the summer kids went nude and wore wraps and cloaks in the winter. Most went barefoot and didn’t wear shoes unless there was a special occasion and then they would wear sandals. Fishers would wear a cloth worn around the waist.

Housing and