8 Unbelievable Facts About Life in Ancient Egypt

When we think of ancient civilizations, we often imagine them as being vastly different from our own. We imagine they had strange traditions, spoke unknown languages, and lived in a world that would be unrecognizable to us today. However, archaeology has shown us that we are quite wrong in our assumptions about the past. In fact, ancient Egyptians had many innovations and practices that still affect our lives today. In this article, we will explore 8 unbelievable facts about the life of ancient Egyptians.

1. Pictograms and Alphabets

Without a way to record information, there would be no way to store and pass on knowledge to future generations. The Egyptians used pictograms which simply depicted words. Later, they added characters that looked a lot like modern alphabets which helped them write down some abstract ideas, maybe even like how to build a pyramid.

2. Tables

This might not sound impressive, but before the Egyptians, there were no tables as far as we know. They made this simple piece of furniture to keep food off the ground and also for gaming purposes. This is how board games started. Who knew Egyptians played Monopoly and Her Bald?

3. Wigs

Some people wanted to have some kind of hair on their heads but still be able to feel comfortable. So when they felt like it, they used wigs, and when it was very hot, they simply took them off. The richest and noblest people wore wigs made of actual human hair, whereas common folks had wigs made of sheep wool.

4. Iron from meteorites

Archaeologists found metal beads in an ancient Egyptian tomb in 1911. Pretty small beads were found in the north of Egypt. But why were these beads so unique? The thing is, the Egyptians started to smelt iron only 2,000 years later. So how did they get metal beads? Chemical tests show that they were made from meteorites. Another argument for this point of view is the hieroglyph that the Egyptians had, which means iron and can be translated as metal from the sky.

5. Toothpaste

There are several proofs that the Egyptians have been producing toothpaste since 5000 BC. As it turns out, they needed toothpaste not only for romantic dates. The Egyptians probably had very serious trouble with their teeth because they ate food with a lot of sand in it, and of course, this damaged their enamel. So they invented one of the first versions of toothpaste. It consisted of ashes, burnt eggshells, and ox hoofs. Just the kind of stuff you want to put in your mouth, right? Anyway, archaeologists even managed to find some guides on how to mix these ingredients to make the right paste. Is there a wrong way to do this?

6. Breath Mints

As you already know, the Egyptians cared about their mouths very much. In ancient times, bad breath was as unpleasant as it is today. Even though their medicine was quite advanced, they didn't have any dentists who could help them with their bad teeth. Scientists examined mummies and found several worn-out teeth even in young people. So to do something about the unpleasant smells from the mouth, they invented the first mints. They used myrrh and cinnamon. They boiled them with honey and made some kind of pellets. Yum!

7. Antibiotics

The Egyptians kind of invented antibiotics way before the 20th century, but it looks like they didn't know it. They used moldy flatbread to cure festering wounds. They fermented something that looked like porridge and had very high levels of tetracycline, which we know as an antibiotic. However, there is no indication that the Egyptians understood why this recipe worked. So is it really a discovery when you don't know what you discovered? Tell us in the comments.

8. Eye Makeup

Both men and women in Egypt wore makeup, and it was a symbol of nobility. The more makeup you had, the higher your social status was. Most of the time, they had black eye makeup, but they were also able to create green eye makeup using malachite.

The ancient Egyptians were an incredibly advanced society with many innovations and practices that still affect our lives today. From toothpaste to antibiotics, they had a deep understanding of the world around them and used their knowledge to improve their lives. We can learn a lot from their achievements and continue to be inspired by their ingenuity and creativity.