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Lost Voices of the Nile: Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt
When we think of ancient Egypt, we think of the gods, the pharaohs and the pyramids. However, life for the average Egyptian was very different from this glorious perception and was not so unrecognisable from the lives we live today.
This book tells the history of the ordinary population of ancient Egypt, using the stories of real people – often strange, at times amusing and ultimately very recognisable. Booth introduces us to a number of fascinating people, including Taimhotep, who married a man twice her age and turned to the god Imhotep to help her to conceive a son; Naunakhte, who disinherited her children for neglecting her in her old age; Kenhirkhopshef, a man seemingly obsessed with making lists; and Paneb, the ‘bad boy’ of Deir el-Medina. History is made up of people and personalities, and each of these characters has a story to tell.
This book tells the history of the ordinary population of ancient Egypt, using the stories of real people – often strange, at times amusing and ultimately very recognisable. Booth introduces us to a number of fascinating people, including Taimhotep, who married a man twice her age and turned to the god Imhotep to help her to conceive a son; Naunakhte, who disinherited her children for neglecting her in her old age; Kenhirkhopshef, a man seemingly obsessed with making lists; and Paneb, the ‘bad boy’ of Deir el-Medina. History is made up of people and personalities, and each of these characters has a story to tell.
284 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2015
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142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 1, 2018
Booth’s book provides the lucid, sharp, and incisive examination of ancient Egyptian daily life that I’ve been searching for. Booth provides new insights and doesn’t shy away from discussing issues under debate, some of which are long overdue. Overall the book offers a wonderful and empathetic depiction of ancient Egyptian daily life, drawing from sources on real individuals to create a charming and authentic vision.
8 out of 10
October 2, 2017
Superb tour through ancient Egypt. Fascinating and well written. Highly recommended to anyone who lives all the tiny details of people's lives, like me.
May 19, 2022
Full of fascinating detail, thorough candour on sources ("despite absolutely no evidence it is widely believed that...") and a brisk, no-nonsense tone that nevertheless carries a great humanity for the people of the distant past and the lives they lived. Somewhere in there I was really struck by both how relatable the ancient Egyptians were (they worried about bills and love and apparently bit each other a lot) and how completely strange some aspects of their lives and worldviews were.
June 10, 2022
I really enjoyed this essay! I learnt lots of details that were unknown to me, and I expanded my previous knowledge on several topics, like childhood, marriage, mummification, etc.
The book is well researched, with a huge list of footnotes and an extensive bibliography that I will definitely peruse to find other stuff that I might like.
I loved how much the author pointed to current digs and papers. Sometimes this type of books are excessively based on written evidence, and this isn't the case. She even pointed out several experimental archaeology cases, and it really helped to illustrate what she was referring to.
Also, hurray for the author talking about the gender bias of past egyptologists!!! This should literally be on the first page of every archaeological essay, and it's so satisfying to see her explaining it!
The book is well researched, with a huge list of footnotes and an extensive bibliography that I will definitely peruse to find other stuff that I might like.
I loved how much the author pointed to current digs and papers. Sometimes this type of books are excessively based on written evidence, and this isn't the case. She even pointed out several experimental archaeology cases, and it really helped to illustrate what she was referring to.
Also, hurray for the author talking about the gender bias of past egyptologists!!! This should literally be on the first page of every archaeological essay, and it's so satisfying to see her explaining it!
October 28, 2015
Quirky, well researched, interesting read and goes down as another off my 2015 Reading Challenge – A non-fiction book.
So much has been packed into this book with each section easily accessible. Good that there was a map at the beginning so when different areas were talked about you had an idea of where they were in relation to each other – also shows the distance some would have travelled to go from one settlement town to another.
The images inside of Deir el-Medina – which seems to be the main place spoken about throughout – show just how vast the area they lived in was. From just looking at the remains that are left you can get a feel for what it was like in its day, and that it would have been quite an imposing area to live in.
Many aspects of the Ancient Egyptians lifestyles are very similar to our own, showing that sometimes the old ways are the best. Took me a little longer to read than your everyday fiction book but I think that was due to the amount of information being given and letting it all sink in. I do love finding out about the history of the Ancient Egyptians and will always watch a documentary on the subject whenever there is one on TV as I find their way of life in general fascinating.
There were many interesting facts that I picked up along the way throughout this book that stuck with me from either being a little bizarre and quirky or just fascinating in seeing how aspects of the Ancient world still play a part in today’s society.
Passing the Time chapter – They seemed to have their own version of our present day Gladiators competitions where two men would try and knock each other down with polls. Only difference is that they were on boats, rather than podiums, on the River Nile and they would have to knock the other into the water, only then would they win. There was however a side of danger with this sport, once in the Nile there could be a high chance of being eaten by a crocodile or if your opponent got a bit too competitive they could harm you while trying to knock you down with the pole.
Household Religion chapter – The Ancient Egyptians had many gods and it is surprising how the stories go with how many times they could die and be reborn – usually being made out of clay. The story of Isis, Nephthys, Osiris and Seth is the main focus in this chapter and it goes round quite a few times with who dies and comes back. So much so that I did have to re-read to make sure I followed the correct path they were taking.
Love, Sex and Marriage chapter – I have to say the dream interpretations that they had for the very wide rarity of dreams they could have were just brilliant. They were very different between whether you were male or female. For a man to dream he is having intercourse with either his mother or sister this is good (friends will stay close or he will inherit something) whereas if he dreams he is having sex with his wife in the sun this is bad (maybe it’s the whole in the sun bit rather than being with their wife but either way the gods will see his miseries if he does). For a woman they are that much stranger. If she is dreaming that she is married to her husband she will be destroyed and if she embraces him she will experience grief. Then there are a few about if an animal has intercourse with them and if this happens mostly she will be either punished or is likely to die soon. The interpretations between the sexes is very different and you have to wonder whether they were thought up by men or women – either way I think most women at the time would have been wise to keep quiet about what they were dreaming about.
Childhood chapter – Adulthood started so much sooner for the children of Ancient Egypt than it would today, they were barely in their teens before they would be put to work. The boys would, more often then not, follow in their father’s footsteps and the girls would start to take on more roles within the family household. This did not stop them from having fun and playing games just like children of today though, only difference is that it did not last as long.
Working for a Living chapter – The everyday jobs that existed at the time are what you would expect them to be – farmers, labourers, scribes, priesthood and being in the military – where they were usually paid in food rations or with goods rather than with money. But the one I found most interesting was that women could become professional mourners. It appears that women of the deceased’s family would not be able to show their grief in public as it would be ‘considered unseemly’, so they would hire professional mourners to show their grief in their place. Most professions would be past down from father to son, mother to daughter, so it would seem if you didn’t like what your parents did for a living you didn’t have many options of what you could, or more likely would, be doing.
Overall a very informative read that isn’t too heavy to get through so if you are interested in what the everyday life of the Ancient Egyptians was really like then check it out.
https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2...
So much has been packed into this book with each section easily accessible. Good that there was a map at the beginning so when different areas were talked about you had an idea of where they were in relation to each other – also shows the distance some would have travelled to go from one settlement town to another.
The images inside of Deir el-Medina – which seems to be the main place spoken about throughout – show just how vast the area they lived in was. From just looking at the remains that are left you can get a feel for what it was like in its day, and that it would have been quite an imposing area to live in.
Many aspects of the Ancient Egyptians lifestyles are very similar to our own, showing that sometimes the old ways are the best. Took me a little longer to read than your everyday fiction book but I think that was due to the amount of information being given and letting it all sink in. I do love finding out about the history of the Ancient Egyptians and will always watch a documentary on the subject whenever there is one on TV as I find their way of life in general fascinating.
There were many interesting facts that I picked up along the way throughout this book that stuck with me from either being a little bizarre and quirky or just fascinating in seeing how aspects of the Ancient world still play a part in today’s society.
Passing the Time chapter – They seemed to have their own version of our present day Gladiators competitions where two men would try and knock each other down with polls. Only difference is that they were on boats, rather than podiums, on the River Nile and they would have to knock the other into the water, only then would they win. There was however a side of danger with this sport, once in the Nile there could be a high chance of being eaten by a crocodile or if your opponent got a bit too competitive they could harm you while trying to knock you down with the pole.
Household Religion chapter – The Ancient Egyptians had many gods and it is surprising how the stories go with how many times they could die and be reborn – usually being made out of clay. The story of Isis, Nephthys, Osiris and Seth is the main focus in this chapter and it goes round quite a few times with who dies and comes back. So much so that I did have to re-read to make sure I followed the correct path they were taking.
Love, Sex and Marriage chapter – I have to say the dream interpretations that they had for the very wide rarity of dreams they could have were just brilliant. They were very different between whether you were male or female. For a man to dream he is having intercourse with either his mother or sister this is good (friends will stay close or he will inherit something) whereas if he dreams he is having sex with his wife in the sun this is bad (maybe it’s the whole in the sun bit rather than being with their wife but either way the gods will see his miseries if he does). For a woman they are that much stranger. If she is dreaming that she is married to her husband she will be destroyed and if she embraces him she will experience grief. Then there are a few about if an animal has intercourse with them and if this happens mostly she will be either punished or is likely to die soon. The interpretations between the sexes is very different and you have to wonder whether they were thought up by men or women – either way I think most women at the time would have been wise to keep quiet about what they were dreaming about.
Childhood chapter – Adulthood started so much sooner for the children of Ancient Egypt than it would today, they were barely in their teens before they would be put to work. The boys would, more often then not, follow in their father’s footsteps and the girls would start to take on more roles within the family household. This did not stop them from having fun and playing games just like children of today though, only difference is that it did not last as long.
Working for a Living chapter – The everyday jobs that existed at the time are what you would expect them to be – farmers, labourers, scribes, priesthood and being in the military – where they were usually paid in food rations or with goods rather than with money. But the one I found most interesting was that women could become professional mourners. It appears that women of the deceased’s family would not be able to show their grief in public as it would be ‘considered unseemly’, so they would hire professional mourners to show their grief in their place. Most professions would be past down from father to son, mother to daughter, so it would seem if you didn’t like what your parents did for a living you didn’t have many options of what you could, or more likely would, be doing.
Overall a very informative read that isn’t too heavy to get through so if you are interested in what the everyday life of the Ancient Egyptians was really like then check it out.
https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2...
May 30, 2019
In parts, the descriptions felt very dry and I had problems visualizing the daily life in Ancient Egypt, so I often found myself not concentrating on the text.
I'm not sure it's the writing or me not being as invested in the culture as I used to be in my teens.
I liked the everyday-angle a lot, since most of the books I read in the past focused mainly on the death cult and less on the life this cult actually tried to preserve.
Naturally, even this book includes the good old "they pulled the brains out through the nose" story, because what tale about mummyfication would be complete without it?
I'm not sure it's the writing or me not being as invested in the culture as I used to be in my teens.
I liked the everyday-angle a lot, since most of the books I read in the past focused mainly on the death cult and less on the life this cult actually tried to preserve.
Naturally, even this book includes the good old "they pulled the brains out through the nose" story, because what tale about mummyfication would be complete without it?
April 10, 2020
If you think of yourself, as I do myself, an amateur Egyptologist, this book is incredibly informative. All my like I've been fascinated by Ancient Egypt. It wasn't until recently when I began to realize, everything I have learned so far is only about the great pyramids and the lives of Pharaohs and other important personages. I wondered if there were any books that explained better the lives of ordinary Egyptians. I stumbled across this book in the gift shop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. I was really looking forward to reading this book. It's filled in so many gaps. I've learned so much!
January 11, 2025
4.5 stars! I enjoyed this so much. This was the perfect book for me. I started another that turned out to be historical fiction and not non-fiction. This is more of what I was looking for. There's so much in this book! So many fascinating details. I loved learning about clothing, education, religion and mythology, writing systems, and so much more. Highly recommend if you like learning about the everyday lives of ancient people, but including footnotes. So glad I found this book.
February 10, 2024
A fascinating summary of Egyptian Culture
September 4, 2024
Excellent for those new or returning to studies of Egypt. Covers a good amount of basic information across different dynasties.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews