Daily Life: Ancient Egypt
A ten‑minute glimpse into how ordinary Egyptians lived, ate, worked, and dressed in the New Kingdom.
Chapters
On-screen text
- 0:07 Homes and Family Life
- 0:14 Homes and Family Life
- 0:31 Rectangular mudbrick house with courtyard Historical record · Amarna Tomb 7 (House of the Viceroy) excavation report, 1975
- 0:49 Single-room house with bench and loom Historical record · Theban Tomb TT52 of Nakht, painted reliefs, 1902
- 1:07 Nuclear families with nearby extended kin The Institute's interpretation · James P. Allen, *The Ancient Egyptian Family* (2000)
- 1:25 Children taught crafts early Tradition / scripture · Instruction of Ptahhotep (c. 2400 BC) – advice on child upbringing
- 1:34 Food and Daily Meals
- 1:41 Food and Daily Meals
- 1:58 200 loaves of barley bread baked daily Historical record · Papyrus Leiden I (c. 1800 BC) – bakery account
- 2:16 Large vats used for brewing barley beer Historical record · Tomb of the Scribe Ipuwer, wall inscription (c. 1900 BC)
- 2:34 Bread, beer, veg, fish, occasional meat The Institute's interpretation · Stuart Tyson Smith, *Food and Drink in Ancient Egypt* (1999)
- 2:52 Granary with stacked jars Historical record · Brooklyn Museum, wooden model of a granary (c. 1400 BC)
- 3:01 Work and Markets
- 3:08 Work and Markets
- 3:25 Bustling market with stalls Historical record · Tomb of Rekhmire (TT100), market wall relief, 15th century BC
- 3:43 Workshop with carpenter, potter, metalworker Historical record · Metropolitan Museum of Art, wooden model of a workshop (c. 1300 BC)
- 4:01 Linen garments woven from flax Historical record · Papyrus Ebers (c. 1550 BC) medical text, description of linen garments
- 4:19 Red, blue, yellow dyes on fabrics The Institute's interpretation · J. H. Breasted, *Ancient Records of Egypt* vol. II (1906)
- 4:28 Clothing and Adornment
- 4:43 Papyrus Ebers, c.1550 BC: linen from flax Historical record · Papyrus Ebers (c. 1550 BC) medical text, description of linen garments
- 5:20 Gold necklace, Queen Ahmose, c.1550 BC Historical record · The Egyptian Museum, Cairo, gold necklace from the tomb of Queen Ahmose (c. 1550 BC)
Sources
Historical record: Amarna Tomb 7 (House of the Viceroy) excavation report, 1975 · Theban Tomb TT52 of Nakht, painted reliefs, 1902 · Papyrus Leiden I (c. 1800 BC) – bakery account · Tomb of the Scribe Ipuwer, wall inscription (c. 1900 BC) · Brooklyn Museum, wooden model of a granary (c. 1400 BC) · Tomb of Rekhmire (TT100), market wall relief, 15th century BC · Metropolitan Museum of Art, wooden model of a workshop (c. 1300 BC) · Papyrus Ebers (c. 1550 BC) medical text, description of linen garments · Tomb of Kha (TT8), painted reliefs, 15th century BC · The Egyptian Museum, Cairo, gold necklace from the tomb of Queen Ahmose (c. 1550 BC)
Tradition / scripture: Instruction of Ptahhotep (c. 2400 BC) – advice on child upbringing
The Institute's interpretation: James P. Allen, *The Ancient Egyptian Family* (2000) · Stuart Tyson Smith, *Food and Drink in Ancient Egypt* (1999) · J. H. Breasted, *Ancient Records of Egypt* vol. II (1906)
Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 165 s of CPU.
Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (4) — the next things to make
- Two adjoining mudbrick houses with families interacting in the courtyard.
- Workers loading jars into a thatched granary.
- Workers loading jars into a thatched granary.
- Artisans at benches, tools, clay wheels, and a furnace.