Ancient Egyptian Inventions

From the calendar system which structures modern day life, to shaving tools, writing utensils, and recreational activities, the Ancient Egyptian civilization invented many meaningful tools and systems which are major parts of modern day life. Without these innovations, who knows how long it would have been before similar things were created or adopted into everyday use?

While the 365-day modern calendar seems like something that is a given, it didn’t really exist before Ancient Egyptian times. Ancient Egyptians created a calendar as a means of tracking agricultural seasons. As the nearby Nile River flooded annually, this calendar allowed them to anticipate when the river’s banks would overflow. The flood cycle was the basis of their calendar, but similar to the modern calendar, it contained 365 days in it. The calendar was also separated into 12 months, though each consisted of 30 days at the time, with the five remaining days occurring at the end of the year rather than being spread out as they are today. This system was vital to agriculture in Egypt and ensured people did not go hungry or lose their groups to flooding. Though the reasoning for this calendar has shifted, it is the basis of what most of the world still uses today. 

Ink was not used prior to the time of Ancient Egyptians. However, as they became interested in documenting their history, they looked to find a way to document their activities and stories. The Egyptians were able to create the first ink using a mixture of vegetable gum, soot, and beeswax. Similarly, they made the first types of paper from papyrus leaves, which were created by pressing and squeezing pulp (a process that is similar to what is done today, though the modern paper has become more and more thin and smooth as the process has been refined). These paper and ink documents are still in existence today and show the beginnings of modern paper and ink used worldwide today. 

While makeup may also seem like a modern creation, it dates back to the Ancient Egyptians. Eye makeup was first invented around 4000 B.C. and used very similar techniques as makeup manufacturing does today. Soot was mixed with galena to form a black material known as kohl, which was then used for eyeliner. This is very similar to eyeliner pencils today and even goes by the same name. Additionally, green-tinted makeup was also made by mixing malachite - a deep green mineral rock - with the same galena. Makeup in Ancient Egyptian times was worn by both men and women as a status symbol and also for religious purposes. Upper-class people and royals wore large amounts of makeup and thick eyeliner, which is where the “egyptian eye” look comes from. In a spiritual sense, Egyptians also believed that wearing eye makeup would protect them from falling victim to the evil eye. 

Ancient Egyptians often had problematic teeth, or bad breath. Since stones, and devices such as stone mortar and pestles were used to grind flour and grains, sand was often common in their meals. Ancient Egyptians were some of the first known people to shave their hair. Long hair was thought to be unhygienic, and the heat of Egypt may have likely made having lots of hair uncomfortable. Because of this, the trend became clean-shaven.

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