Charlotte Booth - How to Survive in Ancient Egypt

HOW TO SURVIVE IN

ANCIENT EGYPT

For Brian

CHARLOTTE BOOTH

First published in Great Britain in 2020 by

PEN AND SWORD HISTORY

An imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Yorkshire Philadelphia

Copyright Charlotte Booth, 2020

ISBN 978 1 52675 349 6

ePUB ISBN 978 1 52675 350 2

Mobi ISBN 978 1 52675 351 9

The right of Charlotte Booth to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

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All photographs are provided courtesy of BKB Photography unless otherwise stated.

All illustrations are drawn by the author.

MapsCourtesy of the Thomas Cook Archive.

Amenhotep III, Luxor Museum. (Photograph by the author).

sm3 t3wy symbol on the base of a statue of Ramses II at Abu Simbel.

Sphinx, Giza. (Photograph by the author).

hk3 h3swt (Hyksos) traders from the Middle Kingdom tomb of Khnumnhotep III at Beni Hasan. (Picture courtesy of Ulla Kaer Andersen).

Hatshepsut and Senenmut graffiti, found in the Deir el Bahri cliffs.

Four-roomed house (drawing adapted from Uphill, 2001, Fig 10).

Amun-Min and his sacred lettuce, Karnak.

A laundry list from Deir el Medina (drawing after McDowell 1999, p.61).

Amenhotep, Son of Hapu the scribe of Amenhotep III, Luxor Museum.

Hathor nursing the king, Edfu.

Professional mourners, tomb of Khaemhat, Valley of the Nobles, Thebes.

Seven Hathors, temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu.

Bes, Denderah.

Procession of dancers, Red Chapel of Hatshepsut, Karnak. (Photograph by the author).

Funerary banquet, tomb of Paheri, El Kab.

Shower, palace at Medinet Habu. (Photograph by the author).

Perfume making, tomb of Iymery, Giza.

Perfume cone worn by Tiy, the wife of Ay, at Amarna.

Surgical equipment, temple of Kom Ombo.

Hieroglyph showing childbirth, Edfu.

Doctor applying cosmetics in the tomb of Ipuy, Valley of the Nobles. (drawing after Nunn, 1996, fig 3.6).

A nineteenth dynasty statue in the Imhotep Museum, Saqqara.

Boat jousting, tomb of Iymery, Giza.

Soldiers wrestling, Luxor Museum.

Amenhotep III practising archery from a chariot, Luxor Museum. (Photograph by the author).

Playing Senet from the tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina. (Photograph courtesy of Wikicommons Media, Mamienefer).

Acrobatic dancers from the tomb of Khety, Beni Hasan, (drawing after Decker 1992, fig. 110).

Blind Harpist from the New Kingdom tomb of Nakht. (Photograph courtesy of Wikicommons Media, Yorck Prokject).

Pre-dynastic Period

Before 3050 BCE

Early Dynastic Period

Dynasty O: 3150-3050 BCE

Dynasty 1: 3050-2890 BCE

Dynasty 2: 2890-2686 BCE

Old Kingdom

Dynasty 3: 2686-2613 BCE

Dynasty 4: 2613-2500 BCE

Dynasty 5: 2498-2345 BCE

Dynasty 6: 2345-2333 BCE

First Intermediate Period

Dynasty 7 and 8: 2180-2160 BCE

Dynasty 9 and 10: 2160-2040 BCE

Middle Kingdom

Dynasty 11: 2134-1991 BCE

Dynasty 12: 1991-1782 BCE

Second Intermediate Period

Dynasty 13: 1782-1650 BCE

Dynasty 14: ?

Dynasty 15: 1663-1555 BCE

Dynasty 16: 1663-1555 BCE

Dynasty 17: 1663-1570 BCE

New Kingdom

Dynasty 18: 1570-1293 BCE

Dynasty 19: 1308-1185 BCE

Dynasty 20: 1185-1070 BCE

Third Intermediate period

High Priests (Thebes): 1080-945 BCE

Dynasty 21 (Tanis): 1069-945 BCE

Dynasty 22 (Tanis): 945-715 BCE

Dynasty 23 (Leontopolis): 818-715 BCE

Dynasty 24 (Sais): 727-715 BCE

Dynasty 25(Nubians): 747-656 BCE

Dynasty 26 (Sais): 664-525 BCE

Late Period

Dynasty 27 (Persian): 525-404 BCE

Dynasty 28: 404-399 BCE

Dynasty 29: 399-380 BCE

Dynasty 30: 380-343 BCE

Dynasty 31: 343-332 BCE

Graeco-Roman Period

Macedonian Kings: 332-305 BCE

Ptolemaic Period: 305-30 BCE

The book that you are holding in your hands is a history book, but not an ordinary one. You as the reader are an important part of the story, and with a little bit of imagination you can bring this book and the world it describes to life.

This book will transport you to ancient Thebes modern Luxor in the year 1360 BCE during the glory years of Amenhotep III, in what is now known as the eighteenth dynasty. Amenhotep III ruled between 1386 BCE and 1349 BCE and was the father of one of the most famous and controversial kings in ancient Egyptian history, Akhenaten. Of course at the time, no one knew the controversy Akhenaten would bring.

Amenhotep III, Luxor Museum. (Photograph by the author).

As the reader, you are to imagine you are an outsider to Thebes; an expat if you will. You are a male who has recently moved to the religious capital of Egypt and needs a handy guide to learn the ropes in your newly adopted city. This is essentially the expat guide to ancient Thebes, advising on shopping, entertaining, finding work, how to avoid the magistrates and what to do if you are taken ill. Whilst in modern times it is not unusual for unaccompanied women to move abroad, in ancient Egypt this would have been very unusual. Therefore I am making the assumption that the expat reading this guide is male, as a reflection of their times rather than ours. Women will, of course, be addressed and business opportunities open to them will be discussed.

When writing a book of this kind, there are some things that need to be taken into consideration. As it is aimed at a reader in 1360 BCE, elements of Egyptian history will be described in the present tense rather than the past tense. References to you are addressing the expat visitor to Thebes and offer helpful advice on various aspects of life.