One of my favourite podcasts is “Fall of Civilizations” many episodes of which are impressive feats of deep research, slick production and listener endurance. “The Mongols, Terror of the Steppe” stretches across 2 parts and nearly 7 hours.
The episode closest to my heart is one that takes a look at “Egypt – Fall of the Pharoahs”.
This is due to a wonderful time in my life during the 1990’s when I worked there as a Tour Guide and developed a deep affection for the country, the people and the history.
But even my relatively deep knowledge of Egyptian History is dwarfed by the level of detail included in this podcast produced by Paul Cooper and having just finished listening to the fall of that amazing civilization, I give you my Top 3 Things You Might Not Know About Ancient Egypt.
1. The Veneration of Cats
As someone with a lifetime allergy to cats, I’ve never developed much attachment to our feline friends which is one (of the many) reasons why I might not have coped that well actually living in Pharaonic Egypt.
They loved them, in fact they venerated them and in ancient Egyptian the word they used for Cat was Mau, which was clearly pronounced … Meoooowww.
2. Women Were In Charge of the Drinks Cabinet
Well, they were certainly in charge of filling it up with the Amber Nectar.
Beer was very popular within Ancient Egypt and to supply this thirsty demand, huge breweries sprung up across the land with women being the primary brewers, both at the household and commercial levels, especially in the early periods of Egyptian civilization.
Egyptologist Helen Strudwick notes that “both brewing and baking were activities undertaken by women and numerous statuettes found in tombs show women grinding grain in mills or sifting the resulting flour”
3. Pharaohs Had to Run Ceremonial Races to Prove Their Fitness
After 30 years on the throne, pharaohs were required to participate in the Heb-Sed festival, a jubilee involving a ritual race.
Dressed in a special kilt with an animal tail, the pharaoh had to run around a track in front of dignitaries to demonstrate continued physical fitness and, by extension, their right to rule.
This ritual was repeated every three years after the first jubilee, regardless of the pharaoh’s age—Ramses II, for example, is said to have performed this ritual even in old age.
I’m all for it.