The temple complex at Abu Simbel, carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Ramses II (ruled 1279-1213 BCE), is one of Egypt’s most popular tourist attractions.
Women enjoyed a far higher status in ancient Egypt than in most other early societies. In many aspects, they were considered the equal of men; they had the right_to own land, represent themselves in legal proceedings, and conduct a business.
Young girls remained at home with their mothers to receive training in domestic duties and household management. Unlike boys, girls were never sent to school, but they might be taught to read and write at home. Girls from peasant families were usually married when they were around 12 years old; girls from better-off families married a little later. Marriages were generally arranged, although the young people might have some say in the matter. Before a marriage took place in richer families, the couple signed a prenuptial agreement, which stipulated that the husband was to pay an allowance to his wife and that any material possessions she brought to the marriage would remain hers if the marriage ended.
For girls who did not marry, other opportunities were available. Some single women became singers, musicians, dancers, or acrobats. Others might find employment with a wealthy family as a maid or nanny, while a girl from a noble family could become a priestess.
For most women, daily work consisted of looking after the home and children. Wheat had to be ground into flour, which was then made into bread and baked in a clay oven. Other food, such as fish, meat, and vegetables, might be boiled or roasted over an open fire. A mother would generally weave flax into linen and then make clothes for her family—men generally wore a short skirt called a kilt and women wore a straight dress held up with straps.
Egyptians placed great emphasis on cleanliness, and both women and men would bathe daily, either in the river or in a basin of water in the house. They then anointed themselves with perfumed oil and applied face makeup.
This hallway leads to the tomb of Ramses VI, who reigned in the 12th century BCE.
Other parts of Egypt were defeated by other nations.
During the 21st dynasty, Libyan principalities arose in the Nile Delta, and in 950 BCE, a Libyan military leader named Sheshonk seized the throne, establishing the 22nd dynasty (950—730 BCE).While the Libyans consolidated their position in the north by establishing military garrisons, they attempted to improve relations with Thebes through political marriages with priestly families. Thebes continued to resent the northern dynasty, however, and eventually established the rival 23rd dynasty in the south.
The latter part of the 22nd dynasty was characterized by an increasing fragmentation of land and by power struggles. In 730 BCE, a Kushite ruler called Piye raided as far north as Memphis, and the northern rulers were forced to pay him tribute. However, after Piye returned to Kush, the Libyan prince Tefnakhte of Sais reassertd his claims in the north. His son Bocchoris succeeded him as the sole pharaoh of the 24th dynasty (c. 722—715 BCE). The Libyan domination was finally ended by Piye’s brother Shabaka, who succeeded in bringing the whole of Egypt under his control and founded the 25th dynasty.
World History
