The Egyptians appear to have reversed the ordinary practices of mankind. Women attend markets and are employed in trade, while men stay at home and do the weaving! Men in Egypt carry loads on their head, women on their shoulder. Women pass water standing up, men sitting down. To ease themselves, they go indoors, but eat outside on the streets, on the theory that what is unseemly, but necessary, should be done in private, and what is not unseemly should be done openly.
(Herodotus II: 33-37)
(Herodotus II: 33-37)
In Egyptian families of all classes, children of both genders were wanted and valued.
There is no evidence that infanticide was practiced.
Children
Fertility Tests:
Tests for pregnancy and determination of the gender of the unborn child were devised.
One particular test was carried out by watering barley and emmer wheat with the urine of the pregnant woman. If the barley sprouted, it was determined that the child was male. If the emmer wheat germinated, the child would have to be female. If nothing happened, the woman was not pregnant.
It may seem unusual, but there is some scientific basis for these tests. Pregnant women can produce a large variety of hormones; some of which can cause early flowering in certain plants. However, there is no known scientific relationship between these plants and gender determination.
Child Bearing:
The birth of a child was a time of great joy for the Egyptians, as well as a time of great concern. The Egyptians had a high rate of infant mortality. The stress of childbirth was another concern; for the mother, that is.
However, childbirth was normally seen as a miracle and not a sort of illness. So the midwife usually assisted n the birth of the child.
Collected data suggests that infant mortality was indeed, fairly high.
The best way to maintain a healthy child in the unsanitary conditions was through breastfeeding. The antibodies in the mother’s milk were passed to the child, and it also offered protection from most food-born illnesses.
Gastrointestinal disorders were common in Ancient Egypt, probably because of the poor sanitation, plus, the infant’s immunity was lowered during weaning.
Evidence, although it may be indirect, comes from the fair amount of cemeteries where the childhood death rate peaks at the age of four, which is usually when the child is introduced to solid foods.
Prolonged lactation also offers a number of health advantages to the mother; primarily, it lowers the chance of having another child too soon, which gives the mother more time between pregnancies.
Suckling usually lasted about three years, as it was recommended in the “Instructions of Any”.
Childhood:
Ancient Egyptian children who successfully completed their fifth year were expected to live a full, complete life. Which was usually thirty-three to twenty-nine years, based on skeletal evidence. Of course, upper-classmen usually lived a longer life than the peasants. Their life expectancy could reach from sixty to seventy. Although it was quite possible they could go on to their eighties or nineties.
Upper-class women were also expected to live a longer life than most lower classes, but the burden of raising many children caused them to have a lower life expectancy than her male counterpart.
Dolls and toys found in Ancient Egyptian ruins suggested that children were allowed ample time to play; but around their fourth to fifth year, they began training for adulthood.
Young girls assisted their mothers in tasks around the house and work with them in the fields. Other female members of the household would aid in the care of the younger siblings.
Similarly, young boys followed their fathers into occupation. First carrying out simple chores, then working and carrying out more complicated tasks later on.
Tests for pregnancy and determination of the gender of the unborn child were devised.
One particular test was carried out by watering barley and emmer wheat with the urine of the pregnant woman. If the barley sprouted, it was determined that the child was male. If the emmer wheat germinated, the child would have to be female. If nothing happened, the woman was not pregnant.
It may seem unusual, but there is some scientific basis for these tests. Pregnant women can produce a large variety of hormones; some of which can cause early flowering in certain plants. However, there is no known scientific relationship between these plants and gender determination.
Child Bearing:
The birth of a child was a time of great joy for the Egyptians, as well as a time of great concern. The Egyptians had a high rate of infant mortality. The stress of childbirth was another concern; for the mother, that is.
However, childbirth was normally seen as a miracle and not a sort of illness. So the midwife usually assisted n the birth of the child.
Collected data suggests that infant mortality was indeed, fairly high.
The best way to maintain a healthy child in the unsanitary conditions was through breastfeeding. The antibodies in the mother’s milk were passed to the child, and it also offered protection from most food-born illnesses.
Gastrointestinal disorders were common in Ancient Egypt, probably because of the poor sanitation, plus, the infant’s immunity was lowered during weaning.
Evidence, although it may be indirect, comes from the fair amount of cemeteries where the childhood death rate peaks at the age of four, which is usually when the child is introduced to solid foods.
Prolonged lactation also offers a number of health advantages to the mother; primarily, it lowers the chance of having another child too soon, which gives the mother more time between pregnancies.
Suckling usually lasted about three years, as it was recommended in the “Instructions of Any”.
Childhood:
Ancient Egyptian children who successfully completed their fifth year were expected to live a full, complete life. Which was usually thirty-three to twenty-nine years, based on skeletal evidence. Of course, upper-classmen usually lived a longer life than the peasants. Their life expectancy could reach from sixty to seventy. Although it was quite possible they could go on to their eighties or nineties.
Upper-class women were also expected to live a longer life than most lower classes, but the burden of raising many children caused them to have a lower life expectancy than her male counterpart.
Dolls and toys found in Ancient Egyptian ruins suggested that children were allowed ample time to play; but around their fourth to fifth year, they began training for adulthood.
Young girls assisted their mothers in tasks around the house and work with them in the fields. Other female members of the household would aid in the care of the younger siblings.
Similarly, young boys followed their fathers into occupation. First carrying out simple chores, then working and carrying out more complicated tasks later on.