Video 11.2007 from Egypt
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Women in Ancient Egypt
Women and men had equal rights in Ancient Egypt but women couldn’t take up a post of officials. Women could make trade and other kinds of businesses; also they were imposed a penalty, as well as men.
Parents in poor families married off their daughters very early. They got married in 12 years old. Parents in more prosperous families married off their daughters later. Grooms, as a rule, were elder their brides for several years. Their parents made a future married couple themselves. Marriage ceremony was very simple: a groom and a bride spoke oaths of fidelity then gifts were given to newly wedded and people gathered to celebrate.
A groom or his family had to buy or to build a house for the future family before a wedding. Marriage obligations were written in marriage contract. A wife could get a financial support in case of divorce. Also she brought a portion with herself in new house, but only a wife could use it. In case of divorce, she took away portion with herself. To get a divorce a wife or a husband should declare their intention to divorce and witnesses must hear it, and they were considered divorced. Children, in that case, stayed with mother, and she could marry again.
When her husband and sons weren’t at home, a woman could govern over estates, trade and etc. Some women worked as servants, wet nurses singers, musicians and priestesses in temples, they made aromas.
But a main role of a woman was housekeeping and children. If there were no children in family, they wrote letters and placed it in tombs of relatives with requests to have compassion upon them. Sometimes they took children to their family from other families or adopt children.
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Copyright © 2007 Alisa Yasnoy
Translation from Russian into English: Svetlana Mukte
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