7 days left
Invest in History Education
By supporting our charity World History Foundation, you're investing in the future of history education. Your donation helps us empower the next generation with the knowledge and skills they need to understand the world around them. Help us start the new year ready to publish more reliable historical information, free for everyone.
$3489 / $10000
Image Gallery
Egyptian Pot in the form of a Mourning Woman
This is a hollow pottery statuette. It depicts a woman mourning; she holds her hands to her head. The statuette is red with a white slip (inverted). From Dandera, Egypt. 11th Dynasty, 2061–1991 BCE. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London (with thanks to The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL).
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.
Add External Link
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
