1	Aegypt: The Ancient World through the Eyes of the Egyptians L.D. Alford Session 3: Egyptian Life www.lionelalford.com www.ldalford.com www.aegyptnovel.com
2	Introduction Aegypt Historical fiction novel with a fantasy/suspense driver Idea 1992, start 1992, finished 1994 Published by OakTara in Jan 08 Follows Lieutenant Paul Bolang Time July-Nov 1926 Location Tunisia (French Colony)
3	Class Syllabus 1. Novel, characters, history, politics 2. Paganism and the Egyptian pantheon 3. Egyptian life 4. Egyptian hieroglyphics 5. Egyptian tombs and constructions 6. Legion Etrangere, French Foreign Legion
4	Basalt Plug
5	Aegypt Paul shook his head again. Was he imagining these figures? He stared again. No, their outlines were clear; he traced them easily in the design. Paul sat back at his desk, and squinting at the rubbing on the door, he drew the symbols carefully in his notebook. Osiris was the Egyptian god of the dead and death. The determinate showed Osiris, that is, death going away. “Death going away,” Paul whispered. It didn’t make sense. The second set of symbols was not as easy to understand. Ra. What did Ra represent—the sun? Not light. No, not light, but warmth, the breath from a man’s nostrils, the essence of life itself. Not just light, but life. Ra was life. The determinate indicated “moving toward”—in other words, coming. “Life coming,” Paul spoke aloud. Perhaps put together the symbols meant: death is going away; life is coming.
6	Aegypt: The Plug “You won’t believe it, but this morning a piece of the shoring came loose and crashed into the carving of that temple you and I had been studying so carefully yesterday.” He paused for breath. “I was busy cursing out the fool who put the framing together so poorly when I noticed a thin tracery around the edges of the inscription. The jolt of the wooden beam was enough to dislodge some mortar from the wall. I looked more closely, and it became obvious that a fine line of mortar had been used to conceal the edges of what, at first, looked like building stones. But the mortar wasn’t just concealing the seams of the building stones. It is stone all right, but it’s not a building stone. With a gentle force, I was able to move the entire block a few millimeters inward.” He paused dramatically. “I think we’ve discovered a plug or a doorway. Williams and Parrain are holding back the natives. They’re all champing at the bit to open the thing, but I don’t want the carving damaged any more than it has been. I thought your presence would bring about a modicum of control.”
7	Egypt: Daily Life Ancient Egypt was a narrow strip of land along the Nile River Each year the river flooded its banks, leaving behind a fertile fringe of soil they called "the Black Land” Desert all around the Nile valley called "the Red Land" It in “the Red Land” Ancient Egyptians built their homes
8	Egypt: Family Life People highly valued family life Treasured children, regarded great blessing (similar to most survival cultures) In lower class families, mother raised the children (not similar, mark of civilization) Wealthy and noble, slaves and servants attended to children’s daily needs
9	Egypt: Family Life If a couple had no children, Pray to the gods and goddesses Place letters at the tombs of dead relatives asking them to use their influence with gods Magic used in attempt to have children If couple still could not conceive, adoption
10	Egypt: Women Women expected to obey fathers and husbands, but equal to men in many ways Legal rights Participate in business deals Own land Represent themselves in court cases Women faced same penalties as men Sometimes wives and mothers of pharaohs "real" ruling power in government Ruled unknowingly to common people Queen Hatshepsut only woman who ruled out right by declaring herself pharaoh. Egyptian wife and mother highly respected
11	Egypt: Children Young boys learned trade or craft from fathers or an artisan Those who could afford sent their sons, from about the age 7, to school to study religion, reading, writing, and arithmetic. Young girls worked and received training at home with their mothers No evidence of schools for girls, some home taught to read and write and some even became doctors
12	Egypt: Children Children expected to look after elderly parents Upon parent’s death Sons inherited land Daughters inherited the household goods such as furniture and jewelry If no sons, daughters inherited land Evidence of some women inheriting entire nomes
13	Egypt: Children Women expected to raise chldren and take care of household duties, some jobs available to them Ran farms and businesses in absence of husbands or sons Courts and temples as acrobats, dancers, singers and musicians Wealthy families hired maids or nannies Noblewomen could become priestesses Professional mourners and perfume makers
14	Egypt: Marriage Girls Peasant girls usually married around 12 Girls of more affluent families married a few years older Boys usually few years older than girls Arranged by parents Some young people chose own spouse Ordinary man normally had one wife Kings always had several
15	Egypt: Marriage Before marriage ceremony, agreement signed by couple Pre-nuptial agreement Wife receive allowance from husband Any material goods wife brought into marriage hers to keep if marriage ended for any reason Both could own land separately from each other but wife usually let her husband administer her land along with his
16	Egypt: Marriage Divorce an option, not common If husband treated wife badly She would go to her family for help Wife's family would try to persuade her spouse to change his behavior If his behavior did not improve the divorce took place Divorce simple procedure consisting of making a statement to annul marriage in front of witnesses Wife given custody of children, free to remarry
17	Egypt: Food and Cooking Clay ovens and over open fires Wood fuel, but scarce Baked, boiled, stewed, fried, grilled, or roasted Kitchen utensils and equipment known from items found in tombs Storage jars, bowls, pots, pans, ladles, sieves, and whisks used Most commoners used dishes made of clay Wealthy used bronze, silver, & gold dishes
18	Egypt: Food and Cooking Barley beer most popular beverage Barley left to dry Baked into loaves of bread Barley loaves broken into pieces mixed with the dried grain in a large jug of water left to ferment Wine Produced Usually found only at tables of wealthy
19	Egypt: Food and Cooking Wheat bread staple food Women ground wheat into flour Flour pounded by men to make a fine grain Sesame seeds, honey, fruit, butter, and herbs were often added to dough to help flavor bread
20	Egypt: Hygiene & Cosmetics Cleansing rituals very important Most bathed daily in the river or out of a water basin at home Wealthy separate room in home to bath Servants pour jugs of water over their master (the equivalent of a modern day shower) Runoff water drained away through a pipe to garden Instead of soap, a cleansing cream made from oil, lime, and perfume
21	Egypt: Hygiene & Cosmetics People rubbed themselves daily with perfumed oil Perfume made from flowers and scented wood mixed with oil or fat Left in pot until oil absorbed scent Perfumed oil used to prevent the skin from drying out in harsh climate At parties, servants put cones of perfumed grease on heads of guests Grease melted Ran down face with a pleasing cooling effect
22	Egypt: Hygiene & Cosmetics Men, women and children of all ages and classes wore makeup Mirrors highly polished silver or copper used to aid with application of makeup Eye paint made from green malachite, and galena -- a gray lead ore Ground into powder, mixed with oil to make eye color called Kohl Kohl kept in jars, applied with small stick Upper and lower eyelids painted with Kohl, extended in a line out to the sides of face
23	Egypt: Hygiene & Cosmetics Believed makeup magical and healing powers Wearing would restore poor eyesight Fight eye infections Reduce glare of sun Other cosmetics used included colors for the lips, cheeks and nails Type of clay called red ochre Ground and mixed with water Applied to the lips and cheeks Henna was used to dye fingernails yellow and orange
24	Egypt: Hygiene & Cosmetics Makeup was stored in special jars and the jars were stored in special makeup boxes. Women would carry their makeup boxes with them to parties and keep them under their chairs.
25	Egypt: Hygiene & Cosmetics
26	Egypt: Hair Hair styles very similar to today’s Common folk wore hair short Young girls usually kept their hair in pigtails while Boys had shaved heads, except for one braided lock worn to one side
27	Egypt: Hair Wigs worn by both men and women Made of sheep's wool or human hair for decoration and for protection from heat. Worn at parties and official functions. Hair pieces also added to real hair to enhance it. When not in use, wigs/pieces stored in special boxes on a stand inside home.
28	Egypt: Jewelry Everyone wore some type of jewelry Rings and amulets especially to ward off evil spirits and injury Both men and women wore pierced earrings, armlets, bracelets, and anklets
29	Egypt: Jewelry Rich Jeweled or beaded collars, called a wesekh, necklaces, and pendants Jewelry made of gold, silver, or electrum (gold mixed w/silver) inlaid with semi-precious stones turquoise, lapis lazuli (a deep blue stone), and carnelian (a copper or reddish orange stone) Poor wore jewelry that was made of copper or faience (made by heating powdered quartz)
30	Egypt: Jewelry
31	Egypt: Clothing Styles did not change much throughout ancient times Usually made of linens ranging from coarse to fine texture During Old and Middle kingdoms Men wore a short skirt called a kilt Women wore straight fitting dress held up by straps Noblewomen sometimes wore beaded dresses Wealthy men wore pleated kilts Older men wore a longer kilt
32	Clothing
33	Men’s Dress
34	Egypt: Clothing When doing hard work Men wore loin cloth Women wore short skirt Children Nude during the summer months Wore wraps and cloaks in winter During New Kingdom (few changes) Noblemen sometimes wore long robe over kilt Women wore long pleated dresses with a shawl Some kings and queens wore decorative ceremonial clothing with feathers and sequins
35	Egypt: Clothing Footwear Most people went barefoot Wore sandals on special occasions King wore Very elaborately decorated sandals Sometimes decorative gloves on his hands. Clothing styles chosen for comfort in hot, dry climate of Egypt
36	Women’s Dress
37	Women’s Dress
38	Egypt: Housing & Furniture Made from bricks of sun dried mud, called adobe, because wood was scarce Noble house Divided into three areas: Reception area Hall Private quarters Windows and doors covered with mats to keep out flies, dust, and heat
39	Egyptian Homes
40	Egypt: Housing & Furniture Inside walls decorated with wall hangings made of leather Floors covered with tile Room on the roof with three walls where the family slept on hot summer nights Commoners lived in town houses usually two to three stories high 1^st story reserved for businesses 2^nd and 3^rd floors provided living space Many people slept on the roof during the summer to keep cool
41	Egypt: Housing & Furniture Sewage disposed of in pits, in the river, or in the streets Most all people had some furniture Stool Small boxes for jewelry and cosmetics Chests for clothing Pottery jars Oil lamps Each home equipped with at least one fly catcher
42	Egyptian Furnishings
43	Egypt: Entertainment Many of activities shown on tomb walls Dramatizations held in temples Most important source of entertainment & relaxation Nile river Fishing River boat outings Swimming Hunting crocodiles and hippopotamuses Boat games where two teams of men in boats with long poles, would try to push each other into the water
44	Egypt: Entertainment Hunting in desert was another great pastime, especially for noblemen Men first hunted on foot, by the time of New Kingdom, men used horses and chariots Some of the animals hunted include the fox, hare, and hyena Wealthy Egyptians often entertained by holding extravagant parties Plenty of food to eat and beer and wine to drink Singers, dancers, acrobats, and musicians hired to entertain
45	Egypt: Entertainment Egyptians loved music, and played instruments such as the lute, harp, and lyre Other favorite pastimes included board games like Hounds & Jackals, and Senet. Children kept themselves entertained with toys like carved ivory animals, wooden horses on wheels, and balls
46	Egypt: Entertainment Festivals usually holidays in honor of gods Important gods’ festivals held by priests A statue of god was carried through streets. More friendly gods had celebrations held by the people, and not priests Bes one of the gods people held own festival Day of Bes, No work People paraded down street dressed in masks of Bes, with dancers and tambourine players Townspeople joined in singing from rooftops Children ran beside dancers singing & clapping Whole town enjoyed a festival and feast
47	Egypt: Government Pre-civilization People found living in the Nile River Valley a safe environment Nile River Valley rich because of annual flooding Over time the various groups organized into two separate governments Upper Kingdom Lower Kingdom
48	Egypt: Government About 3100 BC., Menes, ruler of Upper Egypt, conquered Lower Kingdom Menes united and became 1^st ruler of both Upper and Lower Egypt (the two lands) Where the two kingdoms met, Menes built the capital of Memphis
49	Egypt: Government Ruler, later called pharaoh, more than king Considered to be a god As god, pharaoh was believed to posses the secrets of heaven and earth Pharaoh living embodiment of Egyptian gods Why power considered absolute
50	Egypt: Government Pharaoh responsible for all aspects of Egyptian life Keeping irrigation works in order Directing army Keeping peace Issuing laws Controlled trade and economy Base of pharaoh's power was control of land Owned Egypt's mines and quarries Owned trading fleets that sailed to foreign lands Foreign merchants had to deal with royal officials, not with the merchants of Egypt
51	Egypt: Government Many officials appointed to supervise the details of government Most important was vizier, also known as the Chief Overseer (he was like a Prime Minister) Job to carry out the orders and decisions of the pharaoh Acted as diplomat in the royal court In charge of tax collection and public works
52	Egypt: Government Under vizier were governors who controlled the local nomes into which Egypt was divided Beneath governors were scribes and overseers Scribes keepers of records Overseers supervised farming of the land, and the peasants Government and religion inseparable
53	Egypt: Women Unlike the position of women in most other ancient civilizations, including that of Greece, the Egyptian woman seems to have enjoyed the same legal and economic rights as the Egyptian man-- at least in theory. This notion is reflected in Egyptian art and historical inscriptions
54	Tunisia
55	Tunisia
56	Tunisia
57	Tunisia Fort Saint Chott Djerid Chott Melrhir Tozeur Nefta Tomerzu Sabria Douz
58	Foundation
59	Synopsis Beginning of the dig Breakthrough Discovery of the corridors The basalt plug The seal on the basalt plug The northern corridor The rubbing
60	Clearing
61	Synopsis The rubbing The discovery of the northern entrance To be continued…
62	Northern Corridor
63	Aegypt Williams and Parrain stood in a pool of torchlight. As if it had been hastily put away, Parrain’s camera stood loosely covered at the back of the corridor. Both men looked expectantly toward the Lieutenant and Audrey when they rounded the corner. “About time,” glowered Williams. “Now get to it, you coolies.” He repeated the order in Tunisian to two native men in front of him holding crowbars. The men went to work enthusiastically, but Williams’ Scottish cursing and Audrey’s instructions slowed them significantly at the task. Audrey helped them with the placement of the bars to prevent damage to the stone carving. The door was better balanced than Paul could have imagined, because after only a couple of fierce thrusts, the slab began to move forward slowly. The workers passed back the crowbars, and muscles straining, they pushed directly against the stone.
64	Aegypt The murmur of the Tunisians was full of excitement as the men forced the stone further and further back into the opening. When the stone moved forward almost a meter, it seemed to acquire a will all its own. With a great grinding sound, the whole bulk of it disappeared, and the two men pushing against it staggered forward, off balance. Paul gasped. In the thick light of the gathered torches, he saw a piece of the ceiling separate itself from the shadows above the men. He had only a moment to identify the descending object as a great rusted guillotinelike wedge. The workmen gave an inarticulate cry, while the Europeans, against their better judgment, surged forward to the sight of impending disaster.
65	Aegypt With a long grinding crash that echoed eerily through the darkness, the descending wedge sliced the fallen men cleanly in two across the center of their chests. Paul shielded his face as the blood sprayed like a fountain from the shattered bodies. The men screamed, a croak that became a gurgle of gushing blood. Their bodies thrashed and twitched uncontrollably until at last their eyes rolled upward in their sockets and, except for the sound of dripping blood, all was silent. Audrey turned ashen. His handkerchief appeared immediately from his pocket and he held it in front of his face, unable to take his eyes off the twitching corpses. Paul stared intently into the dark portal. And he saw something—something that caused him to start forward. Insight turned suddenly to dismay. Life and death, death going and life coming—death turned to life was the message of the basalt stone.
66	Aegypt Audrey looked at Paul in horror and was about to back away from the doorway. “No!” yelled Paul. “No. Give me that torch.” Paul grabbed the torch from Audrey’s hands. “Look!” the Lieutenant shouted in the echoing tomb. Heedless of any other traps, he grabbed Audrey with his other hand and stepped into the opening, dragging the retching Englishman behind him. “Look!” he shouted again. The doorway opened into a large dark chamber. Paul searched the floor of the chamber, then pointed to a channel cut laboriously in the stone. The channel ran from a trough under the dead men. It crossed the floor in a V. The end of each V of the channel was lost in the darkness near both the eastern and the western walls of the chamber.
67	Aegypt Both channels were easy to see in the flickering light of the torch because they were filled with something reflective. Paul knew in a moment, but Audrey’s shocked mind, at first, could not comprehend the reason the channels appeared to grow along the stone floor. His voice trembling, the handkerchief still held over his mouth, Audrey asked, “Is it blood?” “It is indeed blood,” returned Paul. He realized he had spoken in French, so he repeated himself in English. “It is blood…sacrifice,” Paul spat out. The blood moved like molten lead in the channels. “Sacrifice?” said Audrey, uncomprehending.
68	Aegypt The blood seemed to halt an instant in both channels. Then it took on a light of its own. It slowly traced an intricate design first on the floor near the eastern wall then near the western wall. The clarity of the design leaped out of the stone toward them. Like a faint but tangible phosphorescence, it provided its own light. The light grew in strength and began to illuminate the chamber. Both Paul and Audrey were shocked to see mummified bodies stacked like cordage in the center of the room. They became aware of a smell. The stench of the freshly breached bodies, almost at their feet, overpowered the faint scent in the chamber, but the smell grew with the false light and the movement of the blood.
69	Aegypt The smell was decay, old decay. Like the scent of a badly sealed tomb, but then over that vile scent, with the false light, grew the odor of burning myrrh. “What is it?” cried Williams from behind them. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Audrey, thunderstruck. “What do you make of it, Bolang?” “I’m afraid to say. Afraid you’d think me a fool.” “Say your mind, man.” Williams came up behind them. “I have read of this…,” Paul pronounced. “Seen something of it in the desert.” “What the devil is going on here?” Williams started again taking in the chamber’s inexplicable lighting. “What the devil indeed,” Paul said under his breath.
70	Aegypt At that moment the false light of the designs coalesced and flared. With double the speed the blood ran down the channels—now bright and crimson like a tongue of flame, it began to flow from the flaring symbols. Paul had only a moment to note that the eastern flame of blood flowed only toward the wall, but the western flame moved both toward the western wall and also toward the bodies stacked on the floor. The smell of decay in the room increased dramatically. With reflexes trained by battle, trained through many near brushes with death, Paul leapt over the wedge and the severed men. Careless of the danger of other traps—of the unknown—Paul ran, dived, and slid face forward toward the western design.
71	Aegypt He felt heat, then, like a shock to his mind, a flare of anger as he brushed the draining blood out of the channel leading into the center of the room. Like drops of scalding oil, the blood sizzled on the cold stone floor. Paul noted a pronounced decrease in the heavy scent of rot. He reached toward the wall to also brush that blazing trail away and was partially successful, but like a mist, the blood slipped through his fingers, running as if it had a will of its own toward the wall. Some of the liquid shot past his brushing palms, and though he interposed his arm in front of the spatters, he noticed a small amount ran through a centimeter channel bored beneath the wall. Paul lost the torch in his mad dash, and it went out. He was left alone in the darkness. Sweat dripped off his body. He hadn’t been able to stop the blood on the eastern side, and he was filled with a fear unlike any mortal fear.
72	The Antechamber
73	Summary Overview of the Novel Not finished… Give you a chance to catch up Met the major characters Not all…
74	Next Time Egyptian hieroglyphics