1205bp+Ancient+Civ+Project


 * Ancient Egypt: ****Dress and Decoration **


 * Reading and Language Arts, Periods 1/2 **
 * Mr. Schoch **
 * June 7, 2012 **


 * Egypt is known for their ancient mummies and Pharaohs and slaves, but really, that’s not all this nation has to offer. The Egyptian name, Kemet, means "black country," because of its rich soil. ( [|http://tinyurl.com/bmgvj47] ) Egypt’s location is in North east Africa near Israel and Greece. Their rise was as early back as 1500 BCE, also known as the New Kingdom. ( [] ) The New Kingdom was not just a time to start over, but a new era of fashion, when the Egyptians evolved from just robes, and their clothing became much more intracate and detailed. Egypt's legacies included a mathematical system, art, and architecture (Fleming 11). **


 * If you go to Egypt in modern day, you'd probably see that the people there are wearing t-shirts and shorts. But in ancient times it wasn't so casual. A more important and fascinating aspect of Egyptian culture, however, was their clothing. Egyptian clothing was a big status symbol in that time period. It showed whether you were in a high class, medium class, or low class. We can best observe Egyptian clothing by noticing the accessories, dress, and makeup. **


 * Many Egyptian accessories are what based today’s typical American ones. If you look at a celebrity walking down the Red Carpet, you might notice big, chunky jewelry around their necks or arms. For wealthy women in ancient times, glazed ceramic jewelry was everyday wear. Only Pharaohs could wear big necklaces and bracelets like actresses or singers do today. Peasants wore beads too, but at a much lower quality. (Fleming 29) Similar to today, jewelery in the New Kingdom included charms, **** bracelets, and necklaces. Gem carvings known as "glyptic art" typically took the form of scarab beetles and other anthropomorphic religious symbols. Jewelry helped to symbolize the glory, power, and dominance and power of the Pharaohs, both within the community, and throughout the broader region. ( [] )  **


 * [[image:PIC 2 CLOTHING.png align="left"]]Such as today, clothing styles are different according to what age you are. Men and women in ancient Egypt wore different clothes, but made from the same fabric. For example, men and women used linen, which is made from flax, to make their clothes. Most men wore a wrap-around skirt that was tied at the waist with a belt, and sometimes wrapped around the legs as well. Rich Egyptian men were able to afford the best quality linen which was very fine and almost see-through. On the other hand, Egyptian women wore full length straight dresses with one or two shoulder straps. During the New Kingdom period it became popular for dresses to be pleated on the shoulder. Children of the New Kingdom didn't wear clothes until the age of six, and that's when they started wearing the same clothes as men and women. Before the New Kingdom, the styles were still very simple, but by this time period they’ve evolved to new ones. ( [] ) **


 * Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt were used for more than just decorating themselves. Makeup was used as sunscreen and to r **** efle **** ct how much wealth you had according to how much makeup you wore. (Morris 36) Cosmetics were made from various minerals and plants. They **** used galena, malachite, iron oxide, and ocher. There were used to make kohl, eye powder, blush, lipstick, and green eye paint. ( [] ) They usually used green and black to highlight the eyes because they symbolized fertility and new life after death. (Fleming 28)  **


 * Egyptian culture is still preserved today, but after Rome became Catholic, much of Egyptian history was either destroyed or forgotten, since Egypt got many of their cultural aspects from Rome. Egypt changed their identity when the world became more modern, and naturally, their fashion did too. Much of Egyptian fashion has left a legacy of today’s clothing all over the world. **

** Glossary **


 * Ceramic- (adj.) Clay made and heat hardened. **


 * Anthropomorphic- (adj.) Human-like. **


 * Pleated- (adj.) Draped. **


 * Kohl- (n.) A black powder used as eye makeup. **


 * Fertility- (n.) Birthrate. **

** Works Cited **


 * Cline, Eric H., and Jill Rubalcaba. The Ancient Egyptian World. New York: Oxford UP, 2005. Print. **


 * "Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt." Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt. Web. 18 May 2012. . **


 * "Egyptian Clothing." - Ancient Egypt for Kids! Web. 11 May 2012. . **


 * "The Egyptians - Clothing." Clothing. Web. 18 May 2012. . **


 * "Garments." Ancient Egypt: Clothing. Web. 14 May 2012. . **
 * Hart, George. Ancient Egypt. New York: Knopf, 1990. Print. **


 * "The History of Jewelry: Ancient Egyptian Jewellery Design." Jewellery of Ancient Egypt. Web. 18 May 2012. . **
 * Hurdman, Charlotte. The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. London: Lorenz, 2000. Print. **


 * "Menu." Menu. Web. 21 May 2012. <http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/time/explore/main.html>. **


 * Morley, Jacqueline, and David Salariya. Clothes for Work, Play & Display. New York: F. Watts, 1992. Print. **


 * "Online Etymology Dictionary." Online Etymology Dictionary. Web. 25 May 2012. <http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Egypt> **


 * "The Origin of the Word, "Egypt" by Nermin Sami and Jimmy Dunn." Egypt: The Origin of the Name, Egypt. Web. 18 May 2012. < http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/kmt.htm>. **