Learning a new Egyptian craft? Read on to discover some of the ancient Egyptian crafts which are popular today…
One of the oldest civilizations in the world was established on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt and goes back to 6000 years. The pharaoh was considered the most powerful person and in fact on a religious level was the God for the people.
Ancient Egyptians were very skilled craftsmen who were involved in farming and fishing. Apart from this they were skilled at making expensive items for the decoration of the temples, accessorizing the pharaohs and preparing the mummies.
Ancient Egyptian Crafts
Communication was highly important to the Egyptian and one of the oldest known scripts in ancient Egypt is the Hieroglyphic script which uses pictorial symbols to spell out events, communicate and relate stories of the Kings and pharaohs of ancient Egypt.
The skilled Egyptians used different materials for creation of interesting arts and crafts projects. Beadwork was actually created by ancient Egyptians. Even though the beads have been found as far back as the Stone Age, they were used in ancient Egypt after being finely crafted.
The modern-day beads that we utilize are known as seed beads due to their small nature and were extensively utilized by Egyptians who called them faience beads. These were created by the fusion of quartz pieces which were then glazed on top and then utilized on strings to create jewelry or embellishing different garments.
In fact beaded necklaces were also discovered inside the tomb of King Tut. The beautifully preserved slippers were also found in his tomb and a marvelous display of Egyptian crafts because they survived weathering and disintegration.
Even though mummification would not be practiced today it was a skilled person who could conduct it properly in ancient Egypt. The beautifully prepared cadaver was treated carefully and embalmed before being wrapped up in linen strips in preparation for the journey to the other world.
Apart from this Egyptians developed different tombs for their pharaohs and Queens along with the marvelous architecture of the Pyramid. The amazing structures like the pyramids and the Sphinx have amazing alleys and passageways leading to the inner chambers which have been carved with great detail that is still preserved. Each and every item that has been found in the underground caverns of the underground city in ancient Egypt is a testimony to the skill of craftsmanship in ancient Egypt.
Origins of Candle making as Egyptian Craft
Today candles are a part of every household and commercial unit across the world. However they came into functional use in prehistoric times approximately 3000 years BC as a source of illumination. Candles created in those days were actually very simple and utilized small wicks floating in any combustible material like fat, tallow or oil. This ancient Egyptian craft continuously evolved into complicated and highly efficient candles which used beeswax and paraffin. This resulted in an odorless and actually fragrant smelling candle. However, with the evolution of the candle into a unique and pleasant source of illumination and relaxation it has become more expensive. To prevent the candle from melting and making it firmer and more durable, stearic acid is added to it.
