Makenzie Allen English and History-Period 6-7 March 1, 2013 Egypt I Search Project

Egyptian Women in the New Kingdom

People have been studying Egypt for more than 3,000 years. Topics of researcher have ranged from the Pyramids, the pharaohs, to even the pets that Egyptians once kept. But one area that I would like to learn more about is the life and historical importance of women in ancient Egypt. Through my own research, I was able to learn many things about Egyptian women and their role in the ancient world. For example, I learned that women in Egypt, unlike anywhere else in the ancient world, had rights such going to court to file for divorce. This happened with or without a man to accompany them, as they were basically treated similarly to men. I also learned that even 3000 years ago, women used make-up to adorn themselves much the same way that women today continue this tradition. Uses of the make-up include making their lips redder, their cheeks pinker, and to outline their eyes. I still have many questions about Egyptian women. These include, did they have the right to fight in a battle? Why were their not as many women pharaohs? What were some accessories, (besides makeup), that women would use to adorn themselves? Women in the New Kingdom of Egypt played an important role in the ancient world. For example, they had many rights, which put them on equal footing to men. Women also owned accessories to decorate themselves, and some women even reached the height of Pharoah and ruled. Accessories they used were jewelry that included beads, gold, and semiprecious stones. Diadems, belts, bracelets, and pendants were also worn. During the New Kingdom, goldsmithing flourished like never before. This is because of regular trips to the Eastern Desert and Nubia to extract metals. Therefore, the Egyptians had a plentiful amount of metal. They also used make-up to paint their cheeks, chins, lips, fingernails, and toenails. Women who were at banquets wore the most elegant dresses and put cones and perfumed

oils on their heads. The most popular type of make-up was eye make-up, worn by both men and women. The eye make-up that people wore was very detailed and worn with the almond eye look. Women in the New Kingdom also had many rights. These rights included women and men being equal before the law was made. Traditionally, a womans role was to be at home. Their life was spent with their husbands and fathers at work, leaving the woman at home looking after the children and house. Women would have spent most of their lives either pregnant or breastfeeding. This, along with housework, would have left not much time to be involved with other work. Women were given the nickname Mistress of the House. Very few women in Ancient Egypt got to have the power and rule, although, the situation changed dramatically during the New Kingdom period. New research on this subject has provided the following quotes. Few women actually worked outside the home as it was frowned on. While their husbands and fathers held down jobs, the main role of Egyptian women was to look after the home and children. (Devllller Donegan) This shows that Egyptian women were important in their roles and the society in general. Another quote is The Ancient Egyptians, both men and women, wore distinct eye make-up, rouge and perfumed oils that softened the skin and prevented burning from the sun and damage from the sandy winds. (Linda Alchin) This shows that eye make-up in Ancient Egypt was important to not only women but also men. The last quote to be listed is this one, Ancient Egyptians began making their jewelry during the Badari and Naqada eras from simple natural materials; for example, plant branches, shells, beads, solid stones or bones. These were arranged in threads of flax or cow hair. To give these stones some brilliance, Egyptians began painting them with glass substances. (Mohamed Rashad) This shows that the Ancient Egyptians were very skilled at making jewelry even in that era of history. Women in Ancient Egypt were ahead of their time. They could be named in legal contracts, attend court on their own, bring lawsuits, and even own or rent their own property. They also had a right to decide if they wanted marry a man or not. If a man asked a woman to marry him, the woman was allowed to say no. People who did marry, married around the ages of 12-14. During the New Kingdom period, the

situation with not many women being able to rule changed dramatically. Instead of just bearing children, the pharaohs wife became an essential part of his reign. Any attempts to rule without a companion (wife or husband) would be an offence against Maat, the divining order of the universe. Make-up and jewelry was also a huge part in a womens life. People were wearing eye make-up as far back as 4000 B.C. It focused on coloring their eyelashes, eyelids, and eyebrows. Black and green were the most preferred colors. Powders to create the eye make-up was ground on a palette then mixed with water to form a paste. Ancient Egyptians made their jewelry from simple natural materials; for example, plant branches, shells, or bones. To give this jewelry some pizzazz, Egyptians began painting them with glass materials. My search was awesome because I had the chance to learn a whole lot more about women in the New Kingdom of Egypt. For example, women rarely fought in a battle. They were mothers and laborers. Accessories women used were jewelry, belts, earrings, and make-up. There were not as many women pharaohs because women did not have enough time to rule as a pharaoh with looking after the children and doing housework. This search was challenging in researching the subject on the internet. Technical difficulties held up most of my research time. I gained many insights on writing bibliographies, being patient with my computer when it had a mind of its own, and looking for good-quality information. In conclusion, I could have let this paper knock me down and defeat me. Instead, I took the challenge head on, kept a positive attitude, and let the research guide me. In conclusion, I learned one important thing while writing this essay. Women are amazing!

Bibliography
Alchin, Linda. "Egyptian Make Up." King Tut. www.king-tut.org.uk, 16 Jan. 2012. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. <http://www.king-tut.org.uk/ancient-egyptians/egyptianmake-up.htm>. Donegan, Devllller. "Egypt's Golden Empire. New Kingdom | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PBS, 15 Mar. 2006. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/newk Donegan, Devllller. "Egypt's Golden Empire . New Kingdom . Women in Power | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PBS, 15 Mar. 2006. Web. 28 Jan. 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/newkin Donn, Mr.. "Women - Ancient Egypt for Kids." Ancient Egypt for Kids . Dominican University, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://egypt.mrdonn.org/women.html>. "Egypt's Golden Empire . New Kingdom | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. <http://www.experience-ancientegypt.com/ancient-egyptian-women.html>. Rashad, Mohamed. "Ancient Egyptian jewelry history." Egypt gift shop, online gift shop for Ancient Egyptian gifts, souvenirs and personalized gifts. Copyright, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. <http://www.egyptgiftshop.com/pharaonic Silverman, David. "Women in Egypt."Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. 80-88. Print. "Women of Ancient Egypt [ushistory.org]." ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association , n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2013. <http://www.ushistory.org/civ/3f.asp>. " Eternal Egypt ." Eternal Egypt. CultNat, IBM, and the SCA, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. <http://www.eternalegypt.org/EternalEgyptWebsiteWeb/HomeServlet?ee_ website_action_key=action.display.mo