Egyptians lived in villages on the banks of the Nile because the rest of Egypt was a hot desert.

Deep floods made the land fertile and good for farming. People’s houses didn’t get flooded unless the house was too near the river. Most were built on higher ground, away from the banks.

Farmers didn’t have tractors, but they had strong oxen for pulling blades to break up the soil.

They kept cows, sheep, goats, pigs, geese, ducks and pigeons.

Many farmers were sent off to work on one of the pharaoh’s building projects after the harvest.

The size of their houses depended on how rich the owners were. Egyptian homes were made of mud bricks and palm branches. Most houses had 2 rooms. Poor families had 1 room but wealthy Egyptians had larger houses with walls painted in bright colors.

They kept their houses cool with thick walls, small windows and high ceilings. This helped to keep the sun out.

Even rich people didn’t have much furniture. They sat on stools and kept their things in chests.

They didn’t have bathrooms like ours but being clean was very important for them so they washed regularly in the Nile. Some rich people had stone rooms where servants poured water all over them.

Only wealthy Egyptians had servants who did the cooking, washing and other chores.

They lit their houses with lamps made of clay with linseed oil. The lamps gave dim light.

Egyptians slept on beds made of wood and reeds. They rested their heads on headrests carved from wood.

They had fun without television or theatres, but they enjoyed watching Royal Processions and Religious Festivals. They relaxed going hunting, fishing and picnicking by the river. For Egyptians it was a little like going to the beach.

The sports they played were hunting, fishing, wrestling, fencing and tug-of-war.

Children played with balls, dolls, wooden animals on wheels and spinning tops.

They did play music but there were no radios or record players (We have no idea what the tunes were like.)

The town was: dusty, noisy and crowded. It was very dirty too! It wasn’t smelly because the heat was so strong that garbage dried up very quickly.

They didn’t use money; people just exchanged things that were worth about the same.

Criminals were often locked up in temples before the trial.