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10 top things you find in a tomb

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Top 10 things you might find in a Pharaoh’s tomb – in pictures

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From sarcophagi filled with mummified bodies to vintage wine to mysterious board games, Isabel and Imogen Greenberg set out what you might come across should you discover a tomb from ancient Egypt

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Another 10 fun things!

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Kids Ancient Egypt: homework help, worksheets, maps, gods, Cleopatra

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Early explorers must have been amazed to find preserved humans that were thousands of years old! Many unwound the bandages without regard for the damage that would cause. They found people whose faces were still recognizable, and some mummies even still had hair.

2. Four canopic jars containing the organs of the deceased.

The mummy's organs were removed and placed in fancy jars. Each one had a unique head: a baboon, jackal, falcon, human. The heads represented powerful deities that protected the organs from harm.

3. Magic Egyptian amulets in the mummy's wrappings.

These amulets were in the shape of scarab beetles or totems like the djed pillar. They could also contain messages and magic spells to ward off evil. Did they work? Maybe: King Tut was found wearing 143 amulets, and his mummy is still around!

4. A copy of the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead.

This book was not so much a book as a set of instructions on how to pass safely from this world into the next. Sometimes, like the image above, it was written on the tomb wall. The mummy could read it so he or she knew where to go and what to say to the gods.

5. Household goods, including furniture, for use in the afterlife

Pictured above is King Tut's (Pharaoh Tutankhamen) bed. It's amazing how well it is preserved. Even though it's thousands of years old, a person could still sleep on it today and imagine they were King Tut.

6. Food to feed the deceased

Mummies were buried with bread, meat, fruits and vegetables, and all manner of things he or she could enjoy feasting upon.

7. Ushabti figurines to work for the deceased in the afterlife

No one wants to work when they're dead, not even the Egyptians. With this in mind, they had small Ushabti figurines made, which would do their work for them in the afterlife--such as baking bread, sewing clothes, and farming.

8. Wall paintings with pictures about the mummy's life

Ancient Egyptians wanted their lives recorded for eternity, so they had paintings made that showed their family members, and some of their accomplishments in life.

9. Painted spells to cast curses and injuries upon tomb robbers

Watch out! Some of these spells could be quite frightening. They warned a person of what would happen if they entered the tomb and defaced it, (make evil against) or stole the items inside.

10. Statues, carvings and paintings of Egyptian gods

And finally, tombs were filled with amazing statues and paintings of Egyptian gods that would help the mummy in the afterlife, protect them against tomb robbers, and pay homage to their religious symbols.

10 Things You Find In An Egyptian Tomb

Scott's Books: Why not collect them all?

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10 Things You Find Inside an Egyptian Tomb

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Early explorers must have been amazed to find preserved humans that were thousands of years old! Many unwound the bandages without regard for the damage that would cause. They found people whose faces were still recognizable, and some mummies even still had hair. The mummy's organs were removed and placed in fancy jars.

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History for kids - Free history network for kids

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Canopic Jars

Canopic jars were used in ancient Egyptian funerary practices to hold the organs of the deceased. These jars were typically made of stone or pottery and were decorated with the heads of the four sons of Horus: Imsety, Hapy, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuef.

The organs were removed during the mummification process and placed in the jars, which were then buried with the body. The use of canopic jars was an important part of Egyptian religious beliefs and customs surrounding death and the afterlife.

The ancient Egyptians had a strong religious belief that when a person died they would return to an 'afterlife' that was almost the same as the life they had when they were alive.

In their belief, the body needed to be preserved so that the person could return.

This is why the Egyptians created mummies.

The process required that not only the outside of the person's body be mummified, but also all of the internal organs.

The four jars were:

Imsety had a human head and carried and protected the liver.

Qebehsenuf had a falcon's head and carried and protected the intestines.

Hapy had the head of a baboon and carried and protected the lungs.

Duamatef had the head of a jackal and carried and protected the stomach.

Canopic Jars Facts for Kids

Canopic jars were used by ancient Egyptians.

They stored mummified remains' internal organs.

There are 4 jars, each with a unique lid.

Lids were shaped like heads of 4 gods.

The gods were Imsety, Duamutef, Hapi, Qebehsenuef.

Imsety's jar held the liver, he had a human head.

Duamutef, with a jackal head, stored the stomach.

Hapi's baboon-headed jar held the lungs.

Qebehsenuef, the falcon-headed god, stored intestines.

Jars were often made of limestone, alabaster, or clay.

Ancient Egyptian Burial Customs

Canopic jars were vital in ancient Egyptian burial practices. During mummification, each organ removed - the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines - was preserved in its own jar. More than storage, each jar was linked to a specific god, symbolizing protection for the organ inside.

Crafted with the head of its guardian deity, the jars were not just functional but were also spiritual symbols. Thus, Canopic jars demonstrate the Egyptians' detailed preparations for their afterlife journey.

Mummification Process

Canopic jars were a fundamental part of the mummification process in Ancient Egypt. Embalmers removed organs from the body, preserved them, and placed them in Canopic jars. Each jar, linked to a specific god, stored a particular organ. The human-headed god Imsety's jar held the liver, and Duamutef, the jackal-headed god, guarded the stomach.

The baboon-headed god Hapi's jar contained the lungs, while Qebehsenuef, the falcon-headed god, kept the intestines safe. Once sealed, these jars were laid in the tomb alongside the mummy, securing the organs for the afterlife. This ritual signifies the importance Egyptians placed on preparation for eternity.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

Canopic jars demonstrate the connection between the physical and spiritual in ancient Egypt, particularly through the representation of gods. Each jar bore the head of a specific god, protecting a specific organ. The liver was guarded by the human-headed Imsety, the stomach by the jackal-headed Duamutef.

Hapi, shown with a baboon's head, protected the lungs, while the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef watched over the intestines. These gods, known as the sons of Horus, underlined the importance of spirituality in Egyptian daily practices, including their burial customs.

Egyptian Tombs and Pyramids

Canopic jars shed light on burial practices in Egyptian tombs and pyramids. These jars, containing preserved organs, were important burial items placed alongside mummies. Found in both royal and non-royal tombs, they give us insights into the burial customs of various social classes. In significant sites like the Pyramids of Giza, these jars were often stored in dedicated chests, emphasizing their value. The presence of Canopic jars in these burial sites highlights the Egyptians' detailed preparation for the afterlife.

Ancient Egyptian Artifacts

Canopic jars are important ancient Egyptian artifacts that shed light on funerary practices. Crafted from materials like alabaster or limestone, these jars were skillfully designed, each topped with a deity's head. Not only practical, they're also artistic, showing the craft level in ancient Egypt.

The jars' design and material changes over time provide insights into evolving art styles and society. Hence, Canopic jars offer a direct connection to the past, reflecting the customs, beliefs, and aesthetics of the era.

The Book of the Dead

Canopic jars have a strong tie to the 'Book of the Dead', an ancient Egyptian guide to the afterlife. The jars, which stored mummified organs, are referred to in several spells in the book. They are linked to the four sons of Horus, believed to guard the organs.

Certain spells were said over the jars to summon this protection. This reveals the jars' spiritual role, not just as organ containers, but as crucial elements for a successful journey to the afterlife, as described in the 'Book of the Dead'.

Egyptian Funerary Texts

Canopic jars, featured in Egyptian funerary texts, were central to beliefs about death and the afterlife. These texts detail rituals and spells related to the jars' purpose - preserving organs for the afterlife. Each jar was guarded by a son of Horus, invoked in the texts for protection.

The preparation and sealing of these jars, as outlined in the texts, underscore their critical role in burial rites. Funerary texts reveal that Canopic jars were sacred vessels within complex beliefs and rituals about death and rebirth.

What is inside Canopic jars?

Canopic jars were created to contain all of the organs, so that upon entering the afterlife, the person would be complete.

We might find the practice of preserving the internal organs and placing them in jars, a bit odd.

The ancient Egyptian religions were very specific about the way someone needed to be prepared so that they could enter the afterlife.

Each of the Canopic jars had a specific purpose and were designed to honor the four sons of Horus.

Horus was the Egyptian god of the sky and the contents of the Canopic jars would go along with the person as they passed through and entered the afterlife and protect the remains.

Canopic jars were highly decorated and the top of each jar was a kind of lid or 'stopper'.

Each lid had a representation of the head of each of Horus' four sons and contained a different organ.

They were put into a special chest that was placed in the tomb of the person that had died.

If there wasn't a chest to put the jars into, they kept all four jars together and put them close to the mummy.

Egyptian religious belief

Part of the Egyptian religious belief was that as a person prepared to enter the afterlife, they would have to be tested to see if they had led a good life.

Their heart would be placed on a scale with a feather on the other side. If the feather was heavier than their heart, they could pass.

It was because of this belief that the heart was left in the body and not placed into a jar. They thought the mummified body needed the heart so that it could pass the test.

Strangely, the Egyptians didn't think the brain was important.

They thought the center of the body and soul was the heart.

When they created a mummy, they destroyed the brain.

Symbol of Honor

The original Canopic jars were hollow and the internal organs were wrapped in linen along with their holy oils and placed inside the jars.

This process was thought to preserve the internal organs for all eternity.

As the Egyptians got better at making mummies, they would mummify the internal organs and put them back in the body of the person that had died and then complete the mummification.

They continued to put the four Canopic jars into the tomb, even though they were empty.

This was a symbol to honor the four sons of Horus and allow them to protect the person as they crossed over.

What are Canopic jars Made from?

The jars could be made of a number of different things" limestone, calcite or alabaster.

The Old Kingdom of Egypt was around 2686-2181 BC and during that time there was hardly ever any inscription or writing on the Canopic jars.

By the Middle Kingdom, 2025-1700 BC, they began to put writing on the jars.

It wasn't until the Nineteenth Dynasty and later that they began to decorate each of the jars with the heads of the four sons of Horus.

Fun Facts about Canopic Jars

There were four Canopic Jars.

The Egyptians used them for safekeeping of particular human organs.

They contained the stomach, intestines, lungs, and liver.

Egyptian believed they would be needed in the afterlife.

The jars were placed in the tombs with the bodies.

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Canopic jars were used in ancient Egyptian funerary practices to hold the organs of the deceased. These jars were typically made of stone or pottery and were decorated with the heads of the four sons of Horus: Imsety, Hapy, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuef.

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Book of the Dead | Ancient Egypt Made Easy

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John Taylor expands on one of the popular and fascinating object The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead.

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The Egyptians believed the afterlife was a mirror-image of life on earth. When a person died their individual journey did not end but was merely translated from the earthly plane to the eternal. The soul stood in judgement in the Hall of Truth before the great god Osiris and the Forty-Two Judges and, in the weighing of the heart, if one's life on earth was found worthy, that soul passed on to the paradise of the Field of Reeds. The soul was rowed with others who had also been justified across Lily Lake (also known as The Lake of Flowers) to a land where one regained all which had been thought lost. There one would find one's home, just as one had left it, and any loved ones who had passed on earlier. Every detail one enjoyed during one's earthly travel, right down to one's favorite tree or most loved pet, would greet the soul upon arrival. There was food and beer, gatherings with friends and family, and one could pursue whatever hobbies one had enjoyed in life.

Work in the Afterlife

In keeping with this concept of the mirror-image, there was also work in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians were very industrious and one's work was highly valued by the community. People, naturally, held jobs to support themselves and their family but also worked for the community. Community service was compulsory in `giving back' to the society which provided one with everything. The religious and cultural value of (harmony) dictated that one should think of others as highly as one's self and everyone should contribute to the benefit of the whole.

The great building projects of the kings, such as the pyramids, were constructed by skilled craftsmen, not slaves, who were either paid for their skills or volunteered their time for the greater good. If, whether from sickness, personal obligation or simply lack of desire to comply, one could not fulfill this obligation, one could send someone else to work in one's place - but could only do so once. On earth, one's place was filled by a friend, relative, or a person one paid to take one's place; in the afterlife, however, one's place was taken by a shabti doll.

The Function of the Shabti

Shabti dolls (also known as shawbti and ushabti) were funerary figures in ancient Egypt who accompanied the deceased to the after-life. Their name is derived from the Egyptian swb for stick but also corresponds to the word for `answer' ( wsb) and so the shabtis were known as `The Answerers'.

The figures, shaped as adult male or female mummies, appear in tombs where they represented the deceased and were made of stone, wood or faience.

The figures, shaped as adult male or female mummies, appear in tombs early on (when they represented the deceased) and, by the time of the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE) were made of stone or wood (in the Late Period they were composed of faience) and represented an anonymous `worker'. Each doll was inscribed with a `spell' (known as the shabti formula) which specified the function of that particular figure. The most famous of these spells is Spell 472 from the Coffin Texts which date from c. 2143-2040 BCE. Citizens were obligated to devote part of their time each year to labor for the state on the many public works projects the pharaoh had decreed according to their particular skill and a shabti would reflect that skill or, if it was a general `worker doll', a skill considered important.

As the Egyptians considered the after-life a continuation of one's earthly existence (only better in that it included neither sickness nor, of course, death) it was thought that the god of the dead, Osiris, would have his own public works projects underway and the purpose of the shabti, then, was to `answer' for the deceased when called upon for work. Their function is made clear in the Egyptian Book of the Dead (also known as The Book of Coming Forth By Day) which is a kind of manual (dated to c. 1550-1070 BCE) for the deceased providing guidance in the unfamiliar realm of the afterlife.

The Book of the Dead contains spells which are to be spoken by the soul at different times and for different purposes in the afterlife. There are spells to invoke protection, to move from one area to another, to justify one's actions in life, and even a spell "for removing foolish speech from the mouth" (Spell 90). Among these verses is Spell Six which is known as "Spell for causing a shabti to do work for a man in the realm of the dead". This spell is a re-worded version of Spell 472 from the Coffin Texts. When the soul was called upon in the afterlife to labor for Osiris, it would recite this spell and the shabti would come to life and perform one's duty as a replacement. The spell reads:

O shabti, alloted to me, if I be summoned of if I be detailed to do any work which has to be done in the realm of the dead; if indeed obstacles are implanted for you therewith as a man at his duties, you shall detail yourself for me on every occasion of making arable the fields, of flooding the banks or of conveying sand from east to west; `Here am I', you shall say.

The shabti would then be imbued with life and take one's place at the task. Just as on earth, this would enable the soul to go on about its business. If one were out walking one's dog by the river or enjoying one's time under a favorite tree with a good book and some fine bread and beer, one could continue to do so; the shabti would take care of the duties Osiris called on to be performed. Each of these shabtis was created according to a formula so, for example, when the spell above references "making arable the fields" the shabti responsible would be fashioned with a farming implement.

The Evolution & Importance of Shabti Dolls

Every shabti doll was hand-carved to express the task the shabti formula described and so there were dolls with baskets in their hands or hoes or mattocks, chisels, depending on what job was to be done. The dolls were purchased from temple workshops and the more shabti dolls one could afford corresponded to one's personal wealth. In modern times, therefore, the number of dolls found in excavated tombs has helped archaeologists determine the status of the tomb's owner. The poorest of tombs contain no shabtis but even those of modest size contain one or two and there have been tombs containing a shabti for every day of the year.

In the Third Intermediate Period (c.1069-747 BCE) there appeared a special shabti with one hand at the side and the other holding a whip; this was the overseer doll. During this period the shabti seem to have been regarded less as replacement workers or servants for the deceased and more as slaves. The overseer was in charge of keeping ten shabtis at work and, in the most elaborate tombs, there were thirty-six overseer figures for the 365 worker dolls. In the Late Period (c. 737-332 BCE) the shabtis continued to be placed in tombs but the overseer figure no longer appeared. It is not known exactly what shift took place to render the overseer figure obsolete but, whatever it was, shabti dolls regained their former status as workers and continued to be placed in tombs to carry out their owner's duties in the after-life. These shabtis were fashioned as the earlier ones with specific tools in their hands or at their sides for whatever task they were called upon to perform.

Equality in Death

Shabti dolls are the most numerous type of artifact to survive from ancient Egypt (besides scarabs). As noted, they were found in the tombs of people from all classes of society, poorest to most wealthy and commoner to king. The shabti dolls from Tutankamun's tomb were intricately carved and wonderfully ornate while a shabti from the grave of a poor farmer was much simpler. It did not matter whether one had ruled over all of Egypt or tilled a small plot of land, however, as everyone was equal in death; or, almost so. The king and the farmer were both equally answerable to Osiris but the amount of time and effort they were responsible for was dictated by how many shabtis they had been able to afford before their death.

In the same way that the people had served the ruler of Egypt in their lives, the souls were expected to serve Osiris, Lord of the Dead, in the afterlife. This would not necessarily mean that a king would do the work of a mason but royalty was expected to serve in their best capacity just as they had been on earth. The more shabti dolls one had at one's disposal, however, the more leisure time one could expect to enjoy in the Field of Reeds. This meant that, if one had been wealthy enough on earth to afford a small army of shabti dolls, one could look forward to quite a comfortable afterlife; and so one's earthly status was reflected in the eternal order in keeping with the Egyptian concept of the afterlife as a direct reflection of one's time on earth.

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Shabti Dolls: The Workforce in the Afterlife

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The Egyptians believed the afterlife was a mirror-image of life on earth. When a person died their individual journey did not end but was merely translated from the earthly plane to the eternal. The...

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Meet an Ushabti, an Ancient Egyptian Statuette Made for the Afterlife

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What we know about this figure discovered in Neferibresaneith’s tomb

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‘Magic Servants’ Found Packed into Ancient Egyptian Tombs ⚱️  | Smithsonian Channel

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This silver winged scarab is inlaid with lapis lazuli, red jasper and green feldspar. It seems to have been fixed to a larger object.

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scarab, Latin scarabaeus, in ancient Egyptian religion, important symbol in the form of the dung beetle (Scarabaeus sacer), which lays its eggs in dung balls fashioned through rolling. This beetle was associated with the divine manifestation of the early morning sun, Khepri, whose name was written…

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Mummified Food in Ancient Egypt: Culinary Secrets of the Afterlife — Mortician in the Kitchen

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Unearth the ancient practice of mummifying food in Egypt and explore the sumptuous provisions found in tombs, including honey, wine, and ‘victual mummies.’ Discover how these gourmet treasures were prepared for eternity.

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8 Food And Drinks Found In Egyptian Tombs You Could Eat (If You Dare)

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There are a surprising number of foods found in Egyptian tombs that you could, in theory, consume. We’re not saying you should, but they wouldn’t kill you.

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Ancient Egyptian Tombs Were Crammed Full of Snacks

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Do you like to shop with your parents for new clothes? Or do you think that shopping is boring? How different do you think your clothing is from people who lived 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt? Let's journey through time to discover more.

The first thing to know about clothing in ancient Egypt is that people wore as little as possible! This is because Egypt was extremely hot much of the year. Of course, when the weather was colder, children and adults wore more clothes.
CHILDREN'S CLOTHING
In ancient Egypt, if you were a boy or girl, you would not have to worry about clothes because children did not wear clothes for most of the year. Children were usually naked until the age of six! Even though children didn't wear clothes, they wore jewelry, such as bracelets, necklaces, or earrings.

When a boy or girl became older, children would shave off their sidelock of youth. This was a sign to the rest of the world that they were growing up and becoming an adult. This usually happened around the age of six although sometimes it could be later. They also began to wear clothing that looked like the clothing worn by their parents.
LINEN
Everyone in Egypt wore clothing made from a fabric called linen. Linen is made from spinning the fibers from the stems of a flax plant. Linen fabric is strong and doesn't trap heat next to the body like heavy wool. For that reason, linen is comfortable and cool to wear. It is the perfect fabric for a hot climate. Egyptian clothing is almost always white, the natural color of flax, because it was hard to dye linen.

MEN'S CLOTHING
The most common piece of clothing worn by men was called a kilt. The men in the picture below are wearing kilts. A kilt is a skirt that wraps around the body and is tied with a belt. It is cool and easy to wear in a hot climate. Wealthy men wore kilts made from lighter-weight linen.

WOMEN'S CLOTHING
Women's clothing was also made from linen. Wealthy women wore linen that was much lighter weight. It was much more expensive to make. Wealthy women also wore dresses made from beads. Sometimes the dresses had pieces on the hem that were like bells that made a sound when they walked. Women's dresses were usually long and fitted to the body. Here are some women musicians wearing linen dresses in the picture on the left. On the right, you can see an actual dress from ancient Egypt that is made from beads. Isn't it beautiful?

MAKEUP, WIGS, AND JEWELRY
Both men and women wore makeup, wigs, and jewelry, as you can see below. Can you see the white kilt that the man is wearing, as well as the white linen dress worn by his wife? Notice that both of them are barefoot and that they are both wearing wigs and makeup around their eyes in addition to big jewelry.

Everyone wore eye makeup! Eye makeup helped prevent infections. It also helped decrease the glare from the sun.

Everyone wanted to look beautiful! They used beauty tools that look a lot like the tools we use today! Here you can see a mirror that would have been shiny. You can also see a razor for shaving hair, tweezers, and a tube that held eye makeup.

The fashions of the ancient Egyptians were quite beautiful and wonderful. We're glad we could journey through time with you to an ancient land, although we don't think we could convince your parents to let you run around without clothes!

We have included a sheet with instructions for you to make jewelry like those worn by the ancient Egyptians. You can color it, cut it out, and put a strong through the holes in the wings. Then tie it around your neck so that you have your very own piece of ancient Egyptian jewelry. You can download it here.

Do you like to shop with your parents for new clothes? Or do you think that shopping is boring? How different do you think your clothing is from people who lived 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt? Let's journey through time to discover more.

The first thing to know about clothing in ancient Egypt is that people wore as little as possible! This is because Egypt was extremely hot much of the year. Of course, when the weather was colder, children and adults wore more clothes.
CHILDREN'S CLOTHING
In ancient Egypt, if you were a boy or girl, you would not have to worry about clothes because children did not wear clothes for most of the year. Children were usually naked until the age of six! Even though children didn't wear clothes, they wore jewelry, such as bracelets, necklaces, or earrings.

When a boy or girl became older, children would shave off their sidelock of youth. This was a sign to the rest of the world that they were growing up and becoming an adult. This usually happened around the age of six although sometimes it could be later. They also began to wear clothing that looked like the clothing worn by their parents.
LINEN
Everyone in Egypt wore clothing made from a fabric called linen. Linen is made from spinning the fibers from the stems of a flax plant. Linen fabric is strong and doesn't trap heat next to the body like heavy wool. For that reason, linen is comfortable and cool to wear. It is the perfect fabric for a hot climate. Egyptian clothing is almost always white, the natural color of flax, because it was hard to dye linen.

MEN'S CLOTHING
The most common piece of clothing worn by men was called a kilt. The men in the picture below are wearing kilts. A kilt is a skirt that wraps around the body and is tied with a belt. It is cool and easy to wear in a hot climate. Wealthy men wore kilts made from lighter-weight linen.

WOMEN'S CLOTHING
Women's clothing was also made from linen. Wealthy women wore linen that was much lighter weight. It was much more expensive to make. Wealthy women also wore dresses made from beads. Sometimes the dresses had pieces on the hem that were like bells that made a sound when they walked. Women's dresses were usually long and fitted to the body. Here are some women musicians wearing linen dresses in the picture on the left. On the right, you can see an actual dress from ancient Egypt that is made from beads. Isn't it beautiful?

MAKEUP, WIGS, AND JEWELRY
Both men and women wore makeup, wigs, and jewelry, as you can see below. Can you see the white kilt that the man is wearing, as well as the white linen dress worn by his wife? Notice that both of them are barefoot and that they are both wearing wigs and makeup around their eyes in addition to big jewelry.

Everyone wore eye makeup! Eye makeup helped prevent infections. It also helped decrease the glare from the sun.

Everyone wanted to look beautiful! They used beauty tools that look a lot like the tools we use today! Here you can see a mirror that would have been shiny. You can also see a razor for shaving hair, tweezers, and a tube that held eye makeup.

The fashions of the ancient Egyptians were quite beautiful and wonderful. We're glad we could journey through time with you to an ancient land, although we don't think we could convince your parents to let you run around without clothes!

We have included a sheet with instructions for you to make jewelry like those worn by the ancient Egyptians. You can color it, cut it out, and put a strong through the holes in the wings. Then tie it around your neck so that you have your very own piece of ancient Egyptian jewelry. You can download it here.

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Ancient Egyptian Clothing - Archaeology Now

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History for kids - Free history network for kids

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Egyptian Clothing

Egypt has hot and dry weather because so much of it is a desert. The ancient Egyptians had to have clothing that was not too hot and allowed free flowing air to cool their bodies. Most of the clothes they wore were made of linen that was made from the flax plant. The type and quality of linen depended upon how rich the person was.

Egyptians used as much of the natural resources from their area as they could. Early on they discovered the strength of flax plant for making linen cloth. Each flax plant takes about 100 days to grow from seeds. When they bloomed, they were gathered together and placed in a moist vat, because the flax plant actually got stronger when it was wet. The plant dried very fast and when used, it lasted longer than almost all of the other fibers.

The ancient Egyptians were very concerned about their appearance and, unlike so many of the other cultures in the area at that time, chose to create individually hand sewn pieces, instead of just one big piece of cloth wrapped around their bodies. They wore a kind of 'tunic' made of white linen that might make you think of a t-shirt. A man's tunic would reach his knee area, while a woman's tunic would go all the way to the ankles. Women's clothes looked more like a dress, and could have one or two shoulders covered and the linen cloth for women was made with a much better quality than the men's.

When men were working they wore a kind of 'loin cloth or kilt' made of linen that was wrapped around the legs and waist. The length of the kilt depended upon what was in fashion at that time. There is no evidence that men or women wore any kinds of hats. This is probably due to the hot desert sun. Wearing a hat could make the person overheated. They did wear headdresses for special occasions. Many of the Egyptians went barefoot, but the rich are shown with sandals that are made from leather; poor people wore sandals made of woven papyrus reeds, which were a kind of straw.

If someone was very wealthy, they would be seen wearing a much better type of linen and would often add jewelry made of fine gemstones for decoration. The linen was so fine that you could almost see through it. It seems that the Egyptians do share some of the same things as people of today. The wealthy were very fashion conscious and were always trying to keep up with whatever fashion trends would happen. Some of these trends were set by the royal family, while others were influenced through the imported fashions and things from other countries.

People that were poor wore a more course or rough type of linen and could not afford jewels but might have added feathers or beads.

Children did not wear any clothes until they reached the age of 6. While they didn't have any clothes, there are pictures of kids wearing anklets, collars, bracelets and hair accessories as decoration. Almost all slaves are shown with hardly any clothes and they worked without wearing anything at all. After they reached the age of six, most children wore the same type of clothes as their parents.

The royal family members wore the finest of linens and they were custom made for each member. They also wore the best jewels, gems and gold jewelry and the pharaoh typically had animal skins as decoration.

Unlike today, men and women both wore makeup. They had green and blue eye shadow and for special occasions. The lined their eyes in black kohl to help protect their eyes from the bright sunlight. The dark liner would reflect the sun away from their eyes.

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Egypt has hot and dry weather because so much of it is a desert. The ancient Egyptians had to have clothing that was not too hot and allowed free flowing air to cool their bodies. Most of the clothes they wore were made of linen that was made from the flax plant.

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Ancient Egyptian Senet game found in Tutankhamun tomb #shorts

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Senet and Twenty Squares: Two Board Games Played by Ancient Egyptians - The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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What is your favorite board game? Senet was a very popular board game in ancient Egypt.

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Senet Game of Tutankhamun - Egypt Museum

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The senet game board of king Tutankhamun rests on a stand with lion-shaped legs attached to sledge runners.

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Ancient Egyptian History for Kids: Book of the Dead

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Kids learn about Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. Texts of chapters and spells the Egyptians used in the afterlife.