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Image Gallery
Daughters of Amenhotep III & Queen Tiye
This limestone tomb relief came from the Tomb of Kheruef (TT192) at Western Thebes (in modern-day El-Assasif), Egypt. These two girls are daughters of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III (c. 1386-1353 BCE) and Queen Tiye (1398-1338 BCE). Kheruef was the steward of Queen Tiye. New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, c. 1355 BCE. It is on display at the Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany.
Questions & Answers
Could women rule in ancient Egypt?
- There were queens in ancient Egypt - such as Hatshepsut and Cleopatra VII - but this was generally frowned upon because the first divine king, the god Osiris, was male and so Egyptian monarchs were also.
Did women have equal rights in ancient Egypt?
- Women had nearly equal rights in ancient Egypt. Men were the heads of households and so were considered authority figures in other areas, but women could be supervisors, priestesses, overseers, and scribes.
What were some of the jobs performed by women in ancient Egypt?
- Women in ancient Egypt were basket-weavers, bakers, brewers, cooks, musicians, dancers, launderers, as well as scribes, estate managers, priestesses, artisans, weavers, professional mourners, and waitresses.
What was the most powerful position a woman could hold in ancient Egypt?
- After the Middle Kingdom, the most powerful position a woman could hold in ancient Egypt was God's Wife of Amun, the female counterpoint of the High Priest of Amun.
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External Links
Women's Legal Rights in Ancient Egypt
lib.uchicago.edu
Women of Ancient Egypt [ushistory.org]
ushistory.org
Digital Giza | Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
fas.harvard.edu