7806jc+Ancient+Civ+Report

When you think of Ancient Egypt, you probably think of pyramids, mummies, and hieroglyphics. Actually, Ancient Egypt is much more than that! Ancient Egypt was called Kemet by the people who lived there, and the people called themselves Kemei. Kemet means Black Land, the color of the soil which the Nile brought each year when it flooded. Some people may think that Ancient Egypt is in the middle of the desert, but that’s not true; Ancient Egypt is located along the Nile River. It borders the modern countries of Saudi Arabia, Libya, Sudan, and Israel. The culture existed from 6000 B.C - 300 A.D. You may think Ancient Egypt sounds old and worth forgetting, but it influenced not only modern day Egypt, but our own lives today.

Some people may know that the twelve month calendar we use everyday from this ancient culture. But did you ever realize that many other things we use today came from Ancient Egypt? Makeup is used to make yourself more beautiful; where do you think we get it from? What about what we wear? We wear mostly cotton and guess where that came from? Egypt. Not only did we get cotton from Ancient Egypt, but also wigs and hairpieces. Once you learn more about Egypt, you may change your mind about many things about Ancient Egypt culture.

Do you wear makeup? Many women, teen girls, and other people wear makeup. The makeup that americans used was first invented in Ancient egypt. One of the most famous product that we use today is known as eyeliner, a substance that can go on your waterline or your eyelid. The Egyptians made a special kind called kohl, made from a mineral galena mixed with sootThen there’s always that one girl who complains about her face not being moisturized. The Egyptians invented skin moisturizers, which were made out of animal fat. Disgusting! It’s obvious that they would need moisturizers, since the Egyptians stayed in the sun all day. Today we make skin moisturizers out of something different such as water, cetyl alcohol, propylene glycol, sodiumlauryl sulfate, stearyl alcohol, methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. Ancient Egyptians also created lipstick, the stain color that goes on your lips. The Egyptians made the lipstick out of purple-reddish dye taken out of seaweed and a bit of iodine and bromine manite. Not only did the Egyptians wear makeup but they created it which is awesome to history.

When you think of the word clothing you probably think of a shirt, pants, and sneakers. In Ancient Egypt, clothing was very different. The Egyptian men would wear a short kilt to tie around their waist and a loincloth was a piece of rectangular fabric covering the loins and falling just above t their knee. It was tied around the waist with a strip of fabric and leather to be distinguished from the wealthy class people and artisans would wear jewelry. The Egyptian women would wear a sheath dress that extended from below the chest area to the ankles. Two shoulder straps held the dress up and in place. There breasts were exposed but some say that the shoulder straps were wide enough to cover their breasts. A popular kind of this dress had a short sleeve top with a gathered neck. Children did not wear clothes until they were about six years old. When they reached the age six, they would wear what the women and men wore.

In addition to clothing the Ancient Egyptians also wore lots of accessories. In Ancient Egypt, women’s accessories were very different than today’s accessories. For example, the number one most used accessory in Ancient Egypt was the wig. Artificial hair was a simple way to maintain what nature neglected. They used the wigs because it served a more practical function. Another famous accessory that the Egyptians wore was a perfumed cone shaped hat at the top of their heads. It was very common for them to wear them at parties, even men! This cone shaped hat was made out of ox tallow and myrrh. Over time, this product would eventually melt into this beautiful scented cone.

Ancient Egypt eventually faded away. This happened because the Egyptians concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River is what is now the modern day Egypt. You may think that Ancient Egypt’s legacy didn’t last, but it did. We still use the 365 day and 12 month calendar every day. Business workers, lawyers, farmers, zookeepers, and care takers use a calendar everyday in their life. The next time your staring in a mirror applying your makeup for the day, be sure to think of the Ancient Egyptians and all the things they invented.

Glossary

butylparaben-  It is used as an antimicrobial preservative in cosmetics such as eye shadow, foundation, sunscreen, facial moisturizer and skin anti-aging treatment.

cetyl alcohol- A waxy alcohol occurring in feces and esterified in spermaceti and wool wax. It is used in cosmetics and as an emulsifier.

galena- A bluish, gray, or black mineral of metallic appearance, consisting of lead sulfide. It is the chief ore of lead

methylparaben- Is an antifungal agent often used in a variety of cosmetics and personal-care products.

propylparaben- A natural substance found in many plants and some insects, although it is manufactured synthetically for use in cosmetics.

propylene glycol- A liquid alcohol that is used as a solvent, in antifreeze, and in the food, plastics, and perfume industries.

sodium lauryl sulfate- One of the most irritating cleansing agents used in skin-care products.

soot- A black powdery or flaky substance consisting largely of amorphous carbon, produced by the incomplete burning of organic matter

stearyl alcohol- <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">It is classified as a fatty alcohol

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">Works Cited

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Ancient Egypt." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 Mar. 2014. Web. 03 June 2014.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">"The Egyptians - Clothing." Clothing. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2014.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hurdman, Charlotte. The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. London: Lorenz, 2000. Print.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">"LARGE COLOR MAP." Egypt Large Color Map. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">Strudwick, Helen. Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. London: Amber, 2006. Print.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yomtov, Nelson. Ancient Egypt. New York: Children's, 2012. Print.