Ancient Egypt: The Roles Of Women In The Old Kingdom

Within Old Kingdom Egypt, women attained more or less freedom in accordance to their place in the social hierarchy. However; when compared to men of the same social class, the archeological evidence from the Old Kingdom portrays women as inferior to men. Although there is little evidence that still remains from this period, through the examination of art and written accounts of the time, historians have been able to piece together the many roles of women in Ancient Egypt, and how their lives differed from Egyptian men as a result of their gender.

In all social classes of Ancient Egypt, women played a vital role in the lives of their children. A woman who produced a child gained respect within their society, and their lives were dedicated to the care and protection of them. (Bradley, 1999). In the lower classes of Egyptian society, women are often represented in wall reliefs

Discovered in Saqqara, the relief depicts mothers in scenes of everyday life taking a moment to breastfeed and care for their children. (Winston, 2003). (Fischer, 2000). Similarly, a statue from the tomb of Nikauinpu dating back to the 5th dynasty portrays a kneeling woman nursing her child. (See appendix 1). The kerchief in her hair implies that the woman may be involved in food preparation tasks, and that she is taking a temporary break to nurse and care for her child. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017). The importance of mothers in a young child’s life is also evident in the higher social classes. A royal statue of Statue of Queen Ankhnes-meryre II and Her Son, Pepy II from the 6th dynasty, provides insight into the relationships between an upper class woman and her children. Pepy II is depicted as a child on his mother’s lap despite having the features of a fully grown man. He sits in the usual royal position of stiff posture upon his mother’s lap, whilst she protectively grasps his