WOMEN IN ANCIENT EGYPTGENERAL HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF ANCIENT EGYPTDYNASTIESPYRAMIDSRELIGIOUS ASPECTSWOMEN IN ANCIENT EGYPTGENERAL REMARKSWOMEN TREATED WITH EQUALITY, RESPECT & HAD MORE PRIVILEGES THAN ANY OTHER ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONLEGALLY FREE OF STRICT MALE SUPERVISION IN LAND OF EXOTIC & UNUSUAL CUSTOMSWOMEN ACKNOWLEDGED AS UNIQUESOURCES FOR WOMEN IN EGYPTIAN HISTORYPROBLEM - HARDLY NOTHING FOR MAJORITY OF WOMEN ASIDE FROM UPPER CLASSPRIMARY SOURCESWISDOM TEXTS AND INSTRUCTIONSPOPULAR GENRE OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATUREARCHEOLOGY LEGAL SYSTEMALTHOUGH NO E BOOK OF LAWS HAS SURVIVEDCOURT DOCUMENTS & LEGAL CORRESPONDENCE WOMEN IN GENERALE WOMEN RELATIVELY SHORT IN STATUREDARK HAIR, DARK EYES & LIGHT BROWN SKINAVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY - ABOUT 40 YEARSIF SURVIVED HER CHILDHOOD & PREGNANCIESWOMEN IN LEGAL SYSTEMEQUALITY WITH MENMARRIED OR SINGLE WOMEN HADRIGHT TO INHERITPURCHASE & SELL PROPERTYSLAVES MAKE VALID LEGAL CONTRACTINITIATE COURT CASERIGHT TO OWN PROPERTY NB LEGAL CONCESSIONPROVIDING DEGREE OF SECURITY FOR UNMARRIED, WIDOWED & ABANDONED WOMEN & THEIR DEPENDENT CHILDREN` COULD LIVE ALONE WITHOUT PROTECTION OF MALE GUARDIANMESOPOTAMIA, GREECE & ROME WOMEN ALL HAD MALE GUARDIANSONCE PTOLEMIC PERIOD IN EGYPT & LATER ROMAN PERIOD, WOMEN LOST THEIR EQUAL LEGAL RIGHTSDESCENT BOTH MATRILINEAL & PATRILINEALE CONSISTENTLY REGARDED FEMALE LINE AS NB ONEMOTHERS FREQUENTLY HONORED IN TOMBS OF THEIR SONSWEDDINGSNO EGYPTIAN WORD MEANING WEDDINGNO SPECIAL BRIDAL CLOTHES WORNNO CHANGE OF NAME TO INDICATE BRIDE'S NEW STATUSMAY HAVE BEEN SPECIAL WEDDING MEALWE MUST ASSUME CO-HABITATION OF COUPLE SERVED AS ONLY OUTWARD SIGN MARRIAGE NEGOTIATIONS SUCCESSFULMARRIAGESE FAR MORE THAN ANY OTHER PAST CIVILIZATIONS SHOWTHROUGH PAINTINGS, STATUES & LYRIC LOVE SONGSTHEIR CONTENTMENT WITH ROMANCE OF MARRIAGEFROM THIS & OTHER SOURCES EVIDENT E SET MUCH VALUE UPON BEING MARRIED & HAVE CHILDRENAPPEARS TO BE NO PROBLEM WITH MIXED MARRIAGESPEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RACESALSO EXTENDED TO UNRESTRICTED SLAVE MARRIAGESBETWEEN 2 SLAVESOR BETWEEN FREE PERSON & SLAVEIN DEFERENCE TO GREEK & ROMAN SOCIETIESEXAMPLES OF DIRECTIONS TO HUSBANDS:DON'T BOSS YOUR WIFE IN HER OWN HOUSE WHEN YOU KNOW SHE IS EFFICIENT. DON'T KEEP SAYING TO HER 'WHERE IS IT? BRING IT TO ME" ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS IN THE PLACE WHERE IT OUGHT TO BE2 KINDS MARRIAGEFORMAL WITH MARRIAGE CONTRACTCOMMON LAW - NO MARRIAGE CONTRACTWHILE MARRIAGES ARRANGED BY PARENTSCHIEF CONSIDERATIONS PROPERTY & RAISING OF SONSBOTH MALE & FEMALE DOWRIESAGAIN SHOWS ESTEEM OF WOMEN IN EGYPTMOSTLY MONOGAMOUS MARRIAGESOME HUSBANDS DID HAVE SEVERAL WIVES OR CONCUBINESALWAYS 1 OFFICIAL WIFEADULTERYWIFE CAUGHT IN ADULTERY OPEN TO HARSHEST PHYSICAL PUNISHMENTS FROM HUSBANDIN THEORY SHE COULD BE PUT TO DEATHADULTEROUS EGYPTIAN WIFE LIABLE TO HAVE HER NOSE CUT OFFWHILE HER PARTNER IN CRIME WOULD BE SAVAGELY BEATENDIVORCEDIVERSE VARIETY OF REASONS FOR DIVORCEMANY FAMILIAR TO DIVORCE LAWYERS OF TODAYREASONSMUTUAL INCOMPATIBILITYWORKALCHOLIC HUSBANDAFFAIR OR LOVE WITH ANOTHERREJECTION OF INFERTILE WIFE COMMONALTHOUGH SOCIETY DID NOT APPROVE OF ITEITHER HUSBAND OR WIFE COULD INITIATE DIVORCEBUT WIFE NOT UNTIL C. 500 B.C.WIFE'S INFERTILITY & INFIDELITY GROUNDSBY 500 B.C. HUSBAND'S ADULTERY GROUNDS FOR DIVORCEOTHER ASPECTS SHOWING WOMEN'S EQUAL STATUSWIVES NOT SECLUDED WHEN DINING & ENTERTAINING AS IN GREECE & OTHER ANCIENT SOCIETIES2DRINKING WINE NOT RESTRICTED OR FORBIDDEN TO WOMEN AS IN ANCIENT GREECE & ROMEEXCESS DRINKING COMMON TO BOTH SEXES IN ANCIENT E WIVES OF RULERS PROMINENT TOONEFARTARINEFERTITIALMOST ALONE AMONG ANCIENT PEOPLESE PERMITTED WOMEN TO SUCCEED TO THRONEQUEEN SOBEKNOFRU REIGNED DURING 12 TH DYNASTYQUEEN HATSHEPSUT DURING 18TH DYNASTYQUEEN HATSHEPSUTC. 1500 B.C.RULED FOR ALMOST 2 DECADESDAUGHTER OF PHARAOHWIFE OF PHARAOHSTEPMOTHER OF BOY SHE SUPPLANTEDBUILT SPECTACULAR TOMB-TEMPLE AT DEIR EL-BAHRIGREATEST SURVIVING MONUMENT FROM ANTIQUITY TO WOMANILLUSTRATED ACCOUNT OF WHAT SHE CONSIDERED HER CHIEF ACCOMPLISHMENTSLARGE-SCALE TRADING EXPEDITION TO PUNT OR ETHIOPIAQUEEN LIVING IMAGE OF GODDESS HATHORQUEEN PROVIDED LEGITIMACY FOR RULEROTHER HIGH-BORN LADIES HELD HIGH POSITIONS AS PRIESTESSES IN CULTS OFHATHOR, NUT, & NEITHREGULATION OF FEMALE SEXUALITY & CUSTOMSPROSTITUTIONLITTLE ACTUAL EVIDENCE OF IT IN ANCIENT EGYPTALTHOUGH LITERARY SOURCES MAKE REFERENCE TO PROFESSIONAL SINGERS & DANGERS NOT AVERSE TO BESTOWING SEXUAL FAVORS FOR PAYMENTCHILDBIRTHGIRLS IN ANCIENT EGYPT USUALLY MARRIED SHORTLY AFTER BEGINNING TO MENSTRUATECALLED TIME OF PURIFICATIONCOULD EXPECT TO BEAR FIRST CHILD AT ABOUT 12-15HIGH MORTALITY RATE FOR CHILDRENTEST FOR PREGNANCYWOMAN TO SIT OVER MIXTURE OF BEER & DATESIF SHE VOMITS SHE WILL CONCEIVEIF SHE DOES NOT VOMIT SHE WILL NOTNUMBER OF TIMES SHE VOMITS INDICATES NUMBER OF CHILDREN SHE WILL HAVEWOMAN TO URINATE DAILY ON TWO CLOTH BAGS ONE CONTAINING EMMER WHEAT & OTHER BARLEYIF BOTH GERMINATED SHE PREGNANTIF NEITHER DID SHE WAS NOTALSO IF BARLEY GREW FIRST THOUGHT CHILD WOULD BE BOYBUT IF EMMER FIRST TO GERMINATE THEN CHILD GIRLCONTRACEPTIVESHONEY & SODIUM CARBONATE (NATRON) SPRINKLED INTO VULVA3CROCODILE DUNG CUT UP IN SOUR MILK1-3 YRS PROTECTIONACACIA TIPS, COLOQUINTIDA (BITTER APPLE) & DATES WITH HONEY & PLACED IN VULVABIRTH & AFTER BIRTHUSED BIRTHING STOOLSMOTHER UNCLEAN FOR PERIOD AFTER BIRTHUSUALLY 14 DAYSGODDESSES CONSULTED BY PREGNANT WOMENWOMEN OFTEN SOUGHT PROTECTION OF GODDESSESPECIALLY 3HATHORSPECIAL CHAMPION & PROTECTRESS OF WOMENHATHOR HAD 2 CONTRASTING ASPECTSHATHOR A FIERCE LIONESS GODDESSBUT LOVING WIFE OF HORUSSHE TOOK SPECIAL INTEREST IN WOMENPROVIDING HUSBANDS FOR YOUNG GIRLS& PROTECTING WOMEN IN CHILDBIRTHTAWERETGODDESS DEPICTED AS PREGNANT HIPPOPOTAMUS STANDINGUPRIGHT ON HER HIND LEGSBESUGLY DWARF GOD PROTECTED HOME IN GENERALTO FRIGHTEN AWAY HARMFUL DEMONS WHO MIGHT THREATEN NEWBORN BABY & ITS MOTHEROTHER IMPORTANT GODDESSES IN ANCIENT EGYPTISISBRINGING OF MARRIAGECAUSING MEN TO SETTLE DOWNINTRODUCTION OF AGRICULTUREHER TEARS CAUSE NILE TO FLOOD OVER LOST OF HUSBAND OSIRISHER SON HORUSTEMPLE AT PHILAEMAATICON FOR CHRISTIAN'S ANGELFEATHER OF TRUTH ON DAY OF JUDGEMENTROLE OF WOMEN IN ECONOMYGENERAL REMARKSWHILE WOMEN LESS LITERATE THAN MENMAJORITY OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN WOMEN UNEDUCATED PEASANTSSTATE'S OFFICIAL VIEW WOMEN COULD BE DEPENDED UPON TO PERFORM USEFUL WORK FOR GREATER SOCIETY OUTSIDE HOMEWOMEN RECEIVED PAY EQUAL TO MALESWOMEN COULD SUCCEED TO FATHER'S PROFESSIONWOMEN LARGELY ENGAGED IN INDOOR DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES FOOD