# data[].attributes.body
A large section of Egyptian society was involved in agriculture, like all traditional societies, while many ancient Egyptian men also had roles in trade and commerce. It was expected of men to establish themselves in their career before seeking a wife. While women were free to keep property and had share in the inheritance, it was the role of the Egyptian men to administer that property. The class of priests and nobles was also mainly composed of Egyptian men.

Work Life
The most common profession of Egyptian men was agriculture, with farming producing many spoils necessary for survival. Slaves worked on Egyptian men’s land and property and the property of their wives was also administered in a similar manner. Men and women could both work and generally earned equal wages. Other than agriculture, men of lower classes also weaved clothes and worked as slaves for the rich. Egyptian men from the upper classes typically worked in business and had government jobs which were befitting of their class. It was customary for ancient Egyptian men to adopt the profession of their fathers after coming of age. It was rare for women to take official duties in the government and therefore the administration was almost exclusively dominated by men.

Primary Source: This is a limestone painting from the 19th Dynasty; an Egyptian carpenter is at work.

# data[].attributes.body
Status
In ancient Egypt, legal status of women was equal to that of men. This equal status is also reflected in the paintings that have been discovered on tombs and temples where men are almost everywhere accompanied by women.

Role of Women
Ancient Egyptian women were active on all levels of social hierarchy. For women of lower classes, the most common profession was peasantry to which majority of the population was associated. It was also common for women to manage farms or businesses in the absence of any male member of the family. Egyptian Women from well-to-do families also worked as perfume-makers and were sometimes employed in courts or temples. However, it was more common for women at lower levels of society to work and women from wealthy facilities generally preferred to stay at home.

Work life
Jobs for women in ancient Egypt were found in various domains of life. After peasantry, some of the most common professions for ancient Egyptian women included dancing, singing, music, and acrobatics etc. Women from the noble families often became members of priesthood connected to certain temples and in the service of certain gods. There are also examples when women acted as doctors like the lady Peseshet during the Fourth dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Other than these professions, women in Ancient egypt also played important roles at the highest levels of government. The role of women at high official levels was not rare, and some of them even rose to become pharaohs of their time. Perhaps the most important reason behind this highly respectable role of women in society was religion which held them in high regard.

Upper Class Women
In Egypt a woman’s rank in society depended on her husband’s rank, but high status could also be achieved by the mother of a high-ranking son. Wives and daughters of pharaohs and nobles
led privileged lives with fine clothes and many servants. By the beginning of the New Kingdom, about 1550 BCE, such women could inherit, own and sell property. They could work as part-time priestesses and decide to marry or divorce. However, marriages between wealthy families were often treated as business arrangements and some wealthy men had several wives. Frequently pharaohs married their own sisters but they had other wives as well.

Primary Source (click to enlarge): Tomb art, painted approximately 4500 years ago in Thebes, showing elite Egyptian women celebrating a feast, attended by servants.

# data[].attributes.body
Early Years
Egyptian children’s lives were divided into various clearly defined stages. For instance, the toddler during the earliest years of life stayed at home and learnt basic skills of talking and walking from his parents. But there were also wet nurseries which looked after the kids if their mothers were absent or not available. Children had a variety of toys and games which filled their pre-school lives. For instance, one of the most popular games for children was called “Senet” which involved throwing sticks to judge the movement of a piece on a square made on ground. At about the age of 4 or 5, the children were sent to schools where properly defined curriculum of education was provided and they were taught almost all the available branches of knowledge.

Education (Age 4-14)
School education was provided between the ages of 4 and 14. During this time, various subjects including mathematics, history, geography, and medicine etc. were taught to the children. However, girls could not attend the schools and were generally instructed at homes. After school, most of the male students joined the professions of their fathers while some pursued advanced studies as well. Agriculture was the most common profession while well to do facilities also indulged in trade and commerce.

Family Life
There was no important role that the Egyptian children served at home. Until the time they became adults, their roles were defined and enforced by their parents. Wet nurses were common and looked after the children whose mothers were either not present or could not look after the children. The wet nurses who served the nobility or king enjoyed considerable social status. During the years of education, ancient Egyptian children were expected to keep education as their primary purpose as they were not strong enough yet to help their fathers in their profession. Girls, on the other hand, helped their mothers in household chores such as cooking, sewing, and such. Children who hailed from the nobility were given a high standard of education and grew up to have official responsibilities in government.

Primary Source (click to enlarge): Egyptian children with a group of mothers chatting.

# data[].attributes.body
Men
Garments were relatively basic in style during the days of the ‘Old Kingdom’ and during this period from around 2130BC, a wrap around skirt called the ‘Shendyt’ was in vogue. It was belted at the waist and sometimes pleated in the front. Another shift in the clothing of Egyptian men occurred around 1420BC when a light tunic or blouse with sleeves also became part of their clothing.

Women
Women’s clothing consisted of simple sheath dresses which were known as a 'Kalasiris'. These dresses went down to the ankles and were held up by straps around the shoulders. The upper edge of the dress could be worn above or below the breasts. Embellishments on the dress could be used to signify the social status of the owner. Various shawls or robes could also be worn over the dress.

Children
Ancient Egyptian children just like men and women used specific types of clothing which did not change markedly over the centuries. Up until the age of 6, most Ancient Egyptian Children simply did not wear any clothes. This was particularly true for the children of the common people. Ancient Egyptian Children started wearing clothes at the age of 6 which were primarily designed to protect the body from dry heat. It was common to use a plain garment of cloth which could be wrapped around the body. Additionally, the children also wore jewellery which included bracelets, anklets, and various hair accessories. The children of ancient Egypt also had a certain kind of hair style which consisted of a side-lock on the right side of the head. As they grew up into adults, they used the same clothing that their parents used.