12 discoveries that show another side of what was known about ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was one of the first civilizations of antiquity and, although there are many theses about pharaohs, pyramids and mummies, many mysteries have not yet been unraveled about this people. We learned a little about him at school and also from movies that endlessly reproduce images of a beautiful Cleopatra moving on a golden background. But how much of what we think we know is real? And how much is just a myth?

O awesome.club decided to dive deep into the history of this civilization and found some data that, like the goods preserved in the sarcophagi, are true treasures. If you pay attention in this world, you can finally discover what the true story of this different and captivating culture is.

The Egyptians believed that cats were magical beings and that they brought good luck to those who kept them at home as pets. Wealthy families covered these enigmatic pets in jewelry and even gave them treats meant for royalty. When they died, they were mummified and their owners shaved their eyebrows as a sign of mourning. Cats were so special that those who killed them, even by accident, were put to death.

According to Egyptian mythology, all gods had the power to transform themselves into animals, but only one deity could become a cat: the goddess Bastet, the protector of homes and temples, who also represented love, protection and harmony. .

Cleopatra is arguably one of the most famous women in history. The idea we have of her is the one told in Hollywood films: that of the irresistible femme fataland. This is shown even in cartoons and on dolls. But how much of this is true? Apparently, in real life Cleopatra stood out more for her intelligence than her beauty. Arab writers described her as a scholar. Plutarch, the Greek biographer of Mark Antony (one of her lovers), assured that the attraction of the last Egyptian queen was in her loquacity, in the tone of her voice and in her intelligence, not in her beauty.

In portraits of her found on Egyptian coins there is an image of a woman with masculine features and an aquiline nose. However, some historians claim that she shrewdly chose to be depicted this way, with the broad jaw of her father, Ptolemy XII, to emphasize her inherited right to rule. Although there are many sculptures of Cleopatra, they are all different. The truth is that, to this day, her true appearance remains a mystery.

Both men and women wore makeup. In general, the eyes were painted green or black. In addition to protecting them from the sun, cosmetics were also believed to have healing powers. To make them, a mixture of minerals with water was prepared: malachite and copper were used for the green color, and galena, lead and coal were ground to obtain black. Perfumes were also produced with oils, spices and resins.

And they didn’t just use makeup to beautify themselves. As we mentioned earlier, they also did this to protect themselves from the sun’s rays, insects, and other diseases. Lead, which was used as a base, for example, had antibacterial properties, when it got wet when it came into contact with the eyes. The Egyptians placed so much importance on aesthetics that cosmetic palettes were found buried next to deceased people, inside their tombs. This shows that they were possibly considered magical and powerful items in the afterlife. Noble women smeared their skin with creams and white powders. Because? The pale skin was a symbol of distinction and delicacy, which meant that they would not participate in jobs considered low-grade, such as plowing the land in the open air and under the sun.

This is not a book as we imagine it today. It was the way chosen to name a loose collection of funerary texts written, in principle, on any part: often on papyrus, but also on the walls of tombs, on sarcophagi, on the mummies’ linen bandages and even on the dead person’s funeral trousseau. . Over time, at least 190 different chapters were organized and obtained. What were they about? A series of magical formulas that would help the deceased successfully pass through hell, protect him from demons and allow him to successfully reach the afterlife. It was believed that, without these formulas, the deceased person could suffer a second death, which would be his total annihilation.

They were written in hieroglyphs and drawn with vignettes, which showed the traveler living different experiences. Not everyone could afford to have their own book, as it was very expensive, so only the rich could afford to order one. The rest of the people could only access the prescribed versions—the only difference being that the scribe recorded his name in a blank space. As if it were a memory of a birthday, each child knew the book that belonged to him, because it had his name written in it. Still (made to order or in series), the pass to the beyond was not for everyone.

This pharaoh’s real name was Tutankhaton, which means “living image of Aten”. That was the name of the god that his father, Akhenaten, had tried to impose on Egypt as the sole deity. Later, it was believed that the most convenient thing would be to replace his name with Amon, one of the most important gods of the New Kingdom. What a curious way to choose and modify proper names, right?

Tutankhamun’s reign was not particularly remarkable. The results of the analysis of his mummy revealed that the pharaoh had health problems and some hereditary diseases. His reign was brief and he died very young, at the age of 18. What made him so famous? This has a lot to do with his tomb: it was one of the few things that escaped the systematic looting to which the royal tombs fell victim. Although the thieves entered it, they never reached the sarcophagus chamber, which was found intact and with a valuable treasure of more than five thousand objects.

Blue was the preferred color of royalty, from Egyptian pharaohs to Roman emperors, from time immemorial. The Egyptians loved this tone and wanted to imitate the intense color of some semi-precious stones, such as turquoise and lapis lazuli. But using natural minerals to achieve that kind of tone was impractical because many were rare and difficult to obtain. Therefore, to meet the demand for shades of blue and others that were used in large quantities, it was decided to produce the pigments themselves, with the creation of sophisticated technology.

Egyptian blue is the oldest artificial pigment in the world. This mixture was very famous throughout the Egyptian dynasty, until the end of the Roman period. Then it ceased to be used and its formula became part of the long list of mysteries of Ancient Egypt. Much later, only at the beginning of the 20th century and during the excavations carried out in Amarna, the remains of a real industry destined to manufacture it were found. Among the products were small amounts of raw materials used in the magic formula, such as copper.

What’s more, the magic pigment is a great candidate for detecting fingerprints. When illuminated with infrared light, it makes visible traces hidden on surfaces of different colors and even designs. Egyptian inventions really do not cease to amaze. Once again, the past seeps into the future.

Although many believe that the Great Pyramid was built by 100,000 slaves and movie screens reproduce the image of children, men and women working for this purpose, from sunrise to sunset, archaeological evidence shows something very different. They tell us that it was built by a force of around 20,000 workers, with support staff such as bakers, doctors, priests, etc. All were free men, despite having health problems, due to the effort required by this trade and, during the time they spent working, they stayed in temporary camps. Those who died during the task were buried in nearby cemeteries.

Other revelations:

It is estimated that it took about 30 years to build. It is the oldest of the seven wonders of the world, and the only one that still exists. For nearly four thousand years, it was the tallest structure in the world.

Although harmony in Ancient Egypt was a very precious and respected asset, this did not prevent, in several circumstances, the discontent of the people and their clamor to exert pressure against the king. And this happened during the rule of Pharaoh Ramses III. The problems started during the preparation of a big festival, in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of the king on his throne, exactly three years before the celebration. Different situations had weakened the Egyptian State and the expense spent on preparing this great festival ended up making the problem worse.

What was missing? Grains, the basic elements of the Egyptian economy. This shortage caused monthly salary payments to workers, craftsmen and tomb builders to start falling behind month after month. Constant delays led to the first strike in recorded history: workers dropped their tools and went first to the mortuary temple of Ramses III and then organized a demonstration near the temple of Thutmose III. Although the negotiations calmed the grievances, they lasted for years and forever changed the relationship between employees and workers.

Egyptians used to have numerous pets. And they had a very particular way of demonstrating their grief, which was different depending on the creature: in the event of the death of a cat, they shaved their eyebrows; if it was a dog, there was no body part with fur or hair left. The figures of companion animals can be seen represented together with their owners on tomb walls and in sarcophagi. Apparently, the image of the two of them together ensured that this bond would persist in the afterlife as well.

Dogs, cats and monkeys were chosen. All were represented in paintings showing them inside the house, with their owners. According to what is seen in the images, cats became the favorite animals of royalty and even had their…