Sexual harassment in Saudi Arabia up by 37% in 2017

Sexual harassment in Saudi Arabia up by 11.4% in 2016

A recent field study conducted by the “Institute for International Research”, a Canadian institute specializing in research and field studies in economic, political, and social fields, has revealed that sexual harassment in Saudi Arabia has increased 11.4% in 2016, compared to 2014.
The study, in which 120 thousand women from 49 countries took part in, found that there has been a sharp increase in those countries which also include Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Benin, Mali, Mauritania, and Uganda.

The study, which chose 15 thousand women from Saudi Arabia, found that 37% were subjected to verbal

sexual harassment, 34% to ogling, 36% to “numbering”, in which the harasser attempt to give his victim his phone number, and 25% to unwanted physical contact (touching parts of the body).

According to the study, the age of the women participating in it ranged between 12 to 38 years. Women were also harassed regardless of whether they were made-up or not, indicating that the predator does not care for the kind of victim.

The institute’s study also indicated that 46% of the women believed that their driving a car helps to a degree in raising women’s level of social security in Saudi society, and therefore banning them from driving makes them vulnerable to predation by drivers and bystanders in the streets.

The study shows that harassment in Saudi Arabia is much higher than countries less developed in terms of economy and security. Furthermore, this study only took into account Saudi women, and not foreign women residing in Saudi Arabia as there is need for another study that shows how these women are harassed in the kingdom. These women live under painful and difficult conditions working as maids, whose guarantors (kafeel) to harass them however they wish, and the law does not protect them.

4118 Saudi women came forth with sexual harassment charges in 2016 according to the Saudi Justice Ministry. 78% of the women taking part in the Institute for International Research’s study also believe that the real numbers of sexual harassment in Saudi Arabia are much higher than the ones declared by the government, because women are afraid of being beaten, violated, or of the negative way they may be viewed by their husbands, or by society, as coming forth to court to register such a charge is considered to be “sacrificing one’s honor.”

Harassment cases in 2016 were at 7.6/day according to official and non-official sources; meanwhile the Saudi Justice Ministry blames the foreigners for these numbers, whereas human rights organizations state that the harassment cases for which foreigners are guilty constitute only 19% of the cases. Reuters had published a report in 2014, placing Saudi Arabia in 3rd place among 24 countries in worksite sexual harassment cases, stating that 16% of women working in Saudi Arabia have been sexually harassed by their superiors at work. 92% of Saudi women have been harassed in one form or another according to a series of studies by Saudi researcher Noura al-Zahrani.

Saudi Arabia has no laws that protect harassed women, and most laws favor the men. Many extremist Wahhabi scholars such as the Kingdom’s Mufti Abedlaziz al-Sheikh and Sheikh ‘A’ed al-Qarni, Mohammad al-Arifi, and others, have stood against any attempts at reform for Saudi women, including the anti-harassment bill that was discussed a few years ago in the Shura council, and was later abandoned due to extremists rising against it saying “it helps spread the concept of intersex mingling in society.”

Saudi scholar Abdullah Dawood launched in May 2013 the “#Harass_Cashiers” hashtag, through which he called for harassing female employees and saleswomen in clothes shops; however he was not tried for his statements that violate humane and international laws.

The Saudi government has attempted to separate female and male workplaces, but apparently this step was very unsuccessful on the ground, and so the government claimed that the increase of harassment in society is due to the increase in the female workforce. Would this excuse convince the public?
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That how Egyptian (devils) kids Treatment of a lion #EGYPT

That how Egyptian kids of (devils) 

Treatment of a lion !!

In fact No words can explain! What the lion and his wife did for them,nothing ! 

why that happiness the kids of (devils) ? WHAT WRONG FUCKEN WITH THEM ! ;(

And that fucken garden watching them! sun of pitch  like nothing happened 

FUCK YOU AND FUCK HOW PUT TO WORK  THERE ALL OF YOU JUST FUCKEN SYS!!  

International #Women's Day 2014: Mothers and daughters around the world - in #pictures

On the eve of International Women’s Day, Reuters presents a set of portraits of mothers and their daughters from around the globe

Rosaura Realsola, 51, with her daughter Alexandra Yamileth, 13, in front of their home in Tepito in Mexico City. Rosaura is a domestic cleaner who finished her education at 16. She says that when she was a child she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. Rosaura hopes her daughter Alexandra will become a nurse. Photograph: Henry Romero/Reuters

Adetola Ibitoye, 39, sits with her daughter Iteoluwa, 9, in their home in Omole, Lagos. When Adetola was growing up, she wanted to run a fashion business. Now she is a clothes designer. Adetola says she wants her daughter to be the best at whatever she sets her mind to. Iteoluwa says she wants to grow up to be a university teacher. Photograph: Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters

Hala Tanmus, 40, and her daughter Maya, 10, pose in the living room of their home in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Hala is a secretary who finished her education at age 20. When she was younger she wanted to become a lawyer. She hopes that her daughter Maya will become an interior designer. Maya, who says she will finish education age 20, would also like to become an interior designer. Photograph: Ammar Awad/Reuters

Charlotte Stafarce, 49, and her daughter Scarlett, 9, pose in the living room of their home in Zebbug, outside Valletta, Malta. Charlotte is an actress and freelance drama teacher who finished her education at 17. Charlotte hopes her daughter will be a scientist when she grows up. Scarlett says she would like to be a vet. Photograph: Darrin Zammit Lupi//Reuters

Vered, 43, poses with her daughter Alma, 13, in their home in Kibbutz Hukuk near the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. Vered got a degree in design at the age of 27 and currently runs educational art projects in local communities. Vered hopes her daughter Alma will find a profession that brings her happiness and satisfaction. Alma will graduate from high school in five years, at the age of 18, and says she would like to be a part of the film industry as a director, camerawoman, editor or actor. Photograph: Nir Elias/Reuters

Lucy Oyela, 42, poses with her daughter Abber Lillian, 14, at their home in Onang, near Gulu town in northern Uganda. Lucy is a farmer who finished her education at age 18. She said that when she was a child she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. Lucy says that she really wants for her daughter to become a nurse. Her daughter Abber says she is not sure what she wants to do when she grows up, but thinks she might like to become an accountant. Photograph: James Akena/Reuters

Zhang Haijing, 41, and her daughter Zhu Nuo, 11, pose for a photograph outside their apartment building in Lanzhou, Gansu province, China. Zhang Haijing is a mid-level manager for Xinhua Bookstore Group. When she was a child, she wanted to become a pre-school teacher. Zhang says she wants her daughter to have a stable job, but does not mind what she does so long as she is happy. Zhu Nuo says she wants to get a doctoral degree and become a professor. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters

Alicia Chiquin, 43, and her daughter Fidelina Ja, 18, stand together at their home in Pambach, Guatemala. Alicia has no education and has always worked the land. Her daughter Fidelina also has no education and when she grows up she says she will continue to work at home and on the land. Photograph: Jorge Dan Lopez/Reuters

Raimunda Eliandra Alves, 45, poses for a photograph with her daughter Ana Paula Leonardo Justino, 10, at their home at the Pavao-Pavaozinho slum in Rio de Janeiro. Raimunda is a supermarket cashier who finished her education at age 19. When she was a child, she wanted to become a maths teacher. She hopes her daughter will become a veterinarian. Ana Paula says that she will go to high school and then finish college in 2025. She also wants to be a vet when she grows up. Photograph: Sergio Moraes/Reuters

Niculina Fieraru, 39, poses with her daughter Flori Gabriela Dumitrache, 13, in their room in Gura Sutii village, Romania. Niculina Fieraru is unemployed and has two children. She hopes that her daughter will become a seamstress. Flori Gabriela wants to become a pop singer and she hopes to go to high school in a town 14 miles away. Her family cannot afford to pay for it, but a Romanian NGO has offered a scholarship to make this possible. Photograph: Bogdan Cristel/Reuters

Claire Coyne, 43, poses with her daughter Ella, 10, at their home in Shepshed, England. Claire, an assistant banker at Coutts, studied until she was 15. Her ambition as a child was to be a PE teacher. She says she doesn't mind what her daughter becomes, as long as she enjoys herself. Ella hasn't thought about when she will finish education yet, but says she might like to go to university. She does not know what job she would like to do yet, but thinks she might like to be a dance teacher. Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

Manami Miyazak, 39, and her daughter Nanaha, 13, pose at their home in Tokyo. Manami, who is a housewife, studied until she was 20. Her ambition was to work somewhere where she could meet lots of people. She hopes that her daughter will build a loving home with a happy marriage. She says it would be great if her daughter could find work that makes use of her abilities and interests. Nanaha wants to be either a designer, musician or a nurse. Photograph: Toru Hanai/Reuters

Sulochna Mohan Sawant, 23, poses with her five-year-old daughter Shamika Sawant inside their home in Mumbai, India. Sulochna, who works as a maid, wanted to become a doctor when she was a child., but could only study until the age of 14. Sulochna wants her daughter to become a teacher. Shamika also wants to become a teacher. Photograph: Mansi Thapliyal/Reuters

Oumou Ndiaye, 30, and her daughter Aissata Golfa, 9, pose for a picture in their house in Bamako, Mali. Oumou, who is a housewife, did not go to school. As a child she hoped to marry a local businessman. She hopes her daughter will marry someone from their ethnic group when she grows up, and that she will stay in education until she is 20 years old. Aissata says that she will finish school when she is 18, and hopes to be a schoolteacher when she grows up. Photograph: Joe Penney/Reuters

Lucia Mayta, 43, and her daughter Luz Cecilia, 12, pose for a photograph inside their bodega in La Paz, Bolivia. Lucia studied until the fourth grade of primary school, and knows how to read and write and do basic maths. She runs a bodega, and the family live in a back room. She hopes to build a house in the future. Luz Cecilia is in seventh grade and wants to be a singer. Photograph: David Mercado/Reuters

Denise Arthur, 52, and her daughter Linnaea Thibedeau, 13, stand together at home near Blackhawk, Colorado. Denise Arthur is a restoration ecologist. She has a PhD and finished her education at 34. Her ambition as a child was to be an animal behaviorist. Denise hopes her daughter Linnaea will become a biologist when she grows up. Linnaea would like to get a PhD and become a marine biologist. Photograph: Rick Walking/Reuters

Noor Zia, 40, poses with her daughter Saba Ahmadi, 11, at their home in Kabul, Afghanistan. Noor, who is a teacher, studied until she was 28. Her ambition was to become a doctor, but she couldn't afford the fees. She hopes her daughter will become a well-known, highly skilled doctor. Saba wants to go to university, and would like to become a renowned lawyer. Photograph: Omar Sobhani/Reuters

Bidaa Mhem Thabet al-Hasan (Um Suleiman), 39, poses with her daughter Mariam Khaled Masto, 9, outside their home in Deir al-Zor, Syria. Bidaa is the director of a school founded by a group of teachers and volunteers. Her ambition was to become a gynaecologist. She hopes her daughter will join the pharmacy school, but says that she will let her follow her own ambitions and that her success will make her happy. Mariam will finish her education in 13 years, and would like to become an Arabic teacher in Deir al-Zor. Photograph: Khalil Ashawi/Reuters

Susana Maria Cardona, 33, and her daughter Alejandra Ruby Cardona, 12, pose for a photograph inside their home in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Susana Maria, who is a housewife, finished school at 17. Her ambition was to become a lawyer. She hopes that her daughter will become a doctor. Alejandra Ruby will finish education in 11 years and hopes to be an agronomist. Photograph: Jorge Cabrera/Reuters

Saciido Sheik Yacquub, 34, poses for a picture with her daughter Faadumo Subeer Mohamed, 13, at their home in Hodan district IDP camp in Mogadishu. Saciido, who runs a small business, wanted to be a businesswoman when she was a child. She studied until she was 20. She hopes that Faadumo will become a doctor. Faadumo will finish school in 2017 and hopes to be a doctor when she grows up. Photograph: Feisal Omar/Reuters

Central African Republic in Massacre against #Muslims

(RNS) Churches in Central African Republic are caring for thousands of Muslims who have been trapped in a cycle of revenge attacks, perpetrated by a pro-Christian militia.

Since December, Anti-Balaka militias have been emptying Muslim quarters and avenging earlier attacks by the Seleka, an Islamist militia. The Seleka rampaged through the country in early 2013, terrorizing Christians and ransacking churches, hospitals and shops.

Now that the Muslim president Michel Djotodia has stepped down, Seleka is being forced to withdraw from its strongholds, as the center of power shifts, amid a mass exodus and displacement of Muslims.

In Baoro, a town in the northwest, a Roman Catholic parish is caring for more than 2,000 Muslims who can’t flee. A group of Catholic sisters in the town of Bossemptele is sheltering more than 500 Muslims, providing food, water and medicine.

“Now is the time for [people] of good will to stand up and prove the strength and quality of their faith,” the Rev. Xavier Fagba, a priest in Baoro, told the BBC.

One reason Muslims are able to take shelter in churches is because the country’s religious leaders believe this is a nonreligious conflict, said the Rev. Nicolas Guerekoyame-Gbango, president of the Alliance of Evangelical Churches in the Central African Republic.

“We have been traveling to the provinces telling people to understand this is not a religious conflict,” said Guerekonyame-Gbango. “This is contributing some tolerance, although many people, including Christians, have taken up arms. This is regrettable.”

 

Roman Catholic Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga of the Bangui Archdiocese has welcomed Imam Omar Kobine Layama, president of the country’s Islamic Community, to live with him in the church compound.

“I live alongside him and I ask Christians to do likewise,” Nzapalainga said in a statement Tuesday (Feb. 18) for Caritas, the international relief organization. “Love should be a characteristic of Christians. You can’t call yourself a Christian if you kill your brother. You can’t call yourself a Christian when you hunt him down.”

Last week, CAR interim President Catherine Samba-Panza said she was “going to war” with the Anti-Balaka, who she described as having replaced a “sense of their mission” with warfare and killings.

Five Reasons Why I Love #Egypt

With a string of bad news coming out of my beloved homeland (from bombings to fatal road accidents and lost mountain climbers), I have fallen into a bout of depression.

That depression then turned into anger (I got mad, I got very mad!).  Overwhelmed with emotions that I didn’t know how to digest, I decided to try and look at the bright side and remind myself of all the things I love about Egypt.

The Egyptian Smile

There is no other smile out there that is as genuine as that of an Egyptian. The radiating goodness and positivity you feel, even in these hard times, comes off as so genuine that it becomes contagious. Enough to turn your day around.

Egyptian Chivalry

Egyptians band together in times of trouble. If they know you or not, they will have your back regardless. Very recently, I had a very bad car accident on the way to Hurgahda (the car flipped three times). Complete strangers came to our rescue, flipped the car over and came running with their first aid kits.

As we were only two girls on the road, one truck driver took it upon himself to make sure we were taken care of, getting us into an ambulance. We thought that would be the last of us seeing him, but to our surprise we found him waiting for us at the Ras Gharib hospital and he made sure to take all the administrative work off our hands so we could concentrate on getting checked up.

I don’t know if God sent us an angel or if, like they say, “chivalry is not dead,” but this man will always leave an ever lasting, amazing impression of my fellow countrymen.

We Have the Beach All Year Round

Not everyone is as lucky as us to be able to go lay by the beach in December or party on the sand in April. With temperatures that would make an eskimo jealous, I have to say we are blessed with unrivaled beaches and gorgeous temperatures.

Egyptian Creativity

Leave it to us Egyptians to come up with the most absurd inventions possible, from some that are outright genius (check video below) to some that get their job done but are a bit ridiculous.

Since the onset of Egypt’s revolution we’ve seen unbelievable inventions come out, like the pan hat that was used as a protective helmet in Tahrir.

Long live the Egyptian man’s mind – you put a smile on my face every day.

Egyptian Humor

Leave it to us that in times of dire tragedy we find the humor in everything. When everyone wants to escape Egypt and is looking for a safe haven abroad we of course have to turn it into a joke. It is probably a psychological ailment we all suffer from, deferring our real issues through humor, but hey, it definitely makes us smile when everything else is so grim!

Tomb of ancient #Egyp t's beer maker to gods of the dead discovered

Imagine a warm brew of lager so heady you had to plunge a straw through the thick surface scum to get to the fermented liquor a.

Welcome to the favored brew of ancient Egypt's New Kingdom; a 3,200-year-old barley beer that a new archaeological find this month is shedding new light on.

A Japanese team headed by Jiro Kondo of Waseda University stumbled on the tomb of ancient beer-maker Khonso Em Heb while cleaning the courtyard of another tomb at the Thebes necropolis in the Egyptian city of Luxor.

The tomb, replete with highly colored frescoes, is being hailed as one of the most significant finds of recent times.

Egypt's antiquities minister Mohamed Ibrahim described Khonso Em Heb as the chief "maker of beer for gods of the dead" adding that the tomb's chambers contain "fabulous designs and colors, reflecting details of daily life... along with their religious rituals."

One fresco shows Khonso Em Heb -- who apart from being a brewer, headed the royal storehouses during the pharaonic Ramesside period (1,292--1,069 BC) -- making offerings to the gods along with his wife and daughter.

The newly discovered tomb is to be placed under tight security until the excavation work is completed, the ministry said in a press statement.

According to Professor Poo Mun Chou, a leading Egyptologist at Hong Kong's Chinese University, the discovery is not only significant in terms of what it tells archaeologists about life during the New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt, but marks a new direction for Egypt's beleaguered antiquities ministry.

Still reeling from a disastrous break-in at the Cairo Museum in 2011 --- when looters smashed two mummies and made off with more than 50 artifacts --- Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities had slapped stringent restrictions on archaeological digs.

For Professor Poo, the latest discovery is a sign that archeology in Egypt may be returning to normal.

"The significance in this find is that for quite some time archaeologists haven't been able to excavate an intact tomb," he said.

This is a new find and is quite unexpected.
Poo Man Chou, Egyptologist

"An intact tomb will give us a more complete view of the funerary customs which can be compared with other tomb paintings."

He said the frescoes were well preserved.

"The Supreme Council of Antiquities has for some time had a policy of not excavating new tombs but preserving those tombs that have already been excavated.

"This is a new find and is quite unexpected."

Apart from the recent political turmoil in Egypt, which has led to a surge in the number of illegal digs and antiquities damaged by looters, Professor Poo said the sheer speed with which new discoveries were being made had meant the government was having difficulty keeping up with logging and preserving the finds.

Excavation around Thebes could be returning to normal.

Add to this the problem of protecting ancient tombs, which begin to degrade the moment they are opened, and Egypt's antiquities authorities have their work cut out for them.

"In Egypt, of course, the dry weather means the danger of this is less, but still after some time the color of the painting begins to fade away.

"That is why Egypt now has a stricter policy."

While foreign archaeological teams are still operating in Egypt, the political climate has made it more difficult for them to do their work.

Even the International Association of Egyptologists (IAE) was told late last year that Egypt --- because of the political situation --- was unable to host the 2014 International Congress of Egyptologists.

The IAE is currently seeking bids for a second country to host the prestigious congress.

Meanwhile, historians and archaeologists are making use of the latest find while it is still available to be studied.

"Alcohol in ancient Egypt was very important -- not just in terms of daily consumption but also as an offering to deities. Beer, in particular was very important," said Poo.

"Beer during the New Kingdom period was probably one-fifth or even one-tenth the price of wine making it a very popular drink for people of all social strata."

While the appeal of beer across all social classes remains to this day, Professor Poo says the modern drinker might struggle to recognize the barley or millet-based beverage of ancient times.

"While it's a close cousin to modern beer, it's manufacture was more primitive and they had to use a tube to extract the liquid from below which would have had a fermented layer of substance floating on the top of the jar," he said.

"It would have had bubbles," he added.

11 Things You May Not Know About Ancient #Egypt

Ancient Egypt stood as one of the world’s most advanced civilizations for nearly 3,000 years and created a culture so rich that it has spawned its own field of study. But while Egyptian art, architecture and burial methods have become enduring objects of fascination, there is still a lot you probably don’t know about these famed builders of the pyramids. From the earliest recorded peace treaty to ancient board games, find out 11 surprising facts about the Gift of the Nile.

1. Cleopatra was not Egyptian.

Universal History Archive/Getty Images

Along with King Tut, perhaps no figure is more famously associated with ancient Egypt than Cleopatra VII. But while she was born in Alexandria, Cleopatra was actually part of a long line of Greek Macedonians originally descended from Ptolemy I, one of Alexander the Great’s most trusted lieutenants. The Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt from 323 to 30 B.C., and most of its leaders remained largely Greek in their culture and sensibilities. In fact, Cleopatra was famous for being one of the first members of the Ptolemaic dynasty to actually speak the Egyptian language.

2. The ancient Egyptians forged one of the earliest peace treaties on record.

Giovanni Dall'Orto/Wikimedia Commons

For over two centuries the Egyptians fought against the Hittite Empire for control of lands in modern day Syria. The conflict gave rise to bloody engagements like 1274 B.C.’s Battle of Kadesh, but by time of the pharaoh Ramses II neither side had emerged as a clear victor. With both the Egyptians and Hittites facing threats from other peoples, in 1259 B.C. Ramses II and the Hittite King Hattusili III negotiated a famous peace treaty. This agreement ended the conflict and decreed that the two kingdoms would aid each other in the event of an invasion by a third party. The Egyptian-Hittite treaty is now recognized as one of the earliest surviving peace accords, and a copy can even be seen above the entrance to the United Nations Security Council Chamber in New York.

3. Ancient Egyptians loved board games.

Gianni Dagli Orti/Corbis

After a long day’s work along the Nile River, Egyptians often relaxed by playing board games. Several different games were played, including “Mehen” and “Dogs and Jackals,” but perhaps the most popular was a game of chance known as “Senet.” This pastime dates back as far as 3500 B.C. and was played on a long board painted with 30 squares. Each player had a set of pieces that were moved along the board according to rolls of dice or the throwing sticks. Historians still debate Senet’s exact rules, but there is little doubt of the game’s popularity. Paintings depict Queen Nefertari playing Senet, and pharaohs like Tutankhamen even had game boards buried with them in their tombs.

4. Egyptian women had a wide range of rights and freedoms.

DEA/A. Dagli Orti/De Agostini/Getty Images

While they may have been publicly and socially viewed as inferior to men, Egyptian women enjoyed a great deal of legal and financial independence. They could buy and sell property, serve on juries, make wills and even enter into legal contracts. Egyptian women did not typically work outside the home, but those who did usually received equal pay for doing the same jobs as men. Unlike the women of ancient Greece, who were effectively owned by their husbands, Egyptian women also had the right to divorce and remarry. Egyptian couples were even known to negotiate an ancient prenuptial agreement. These contracts listed all the property and wealth the woman had brought into the marriage and guaranteed that she would be compensated for it in the event of a divorce.

5. Egyptian workers were known to organize labor strikes.

Werner Forman/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Even though they regarded the pharaoh as a kind of living god, Egyptian workers were not afraid to protest for better working conditions. The most famous example came in the 12th century B.C. during the reign of the New Kingdom pharaoh Ramses III. When laborers engaged in building the royal necropolis at Deir el-Medina did not receive their usual payment of grain, they organized one of the first recorded strikes in history. The protest took the form of a sit-in: The workers simply entered nearby mortuary temples and refused to leave until their grievances were heard. The gamble worked, and the laborers were eventually given their overdue rations.

6. Egyptian pharaohs were often overweight.

rob koopman/Wikimedia Commons

Egyptian art commonly depicts pharaohs as being trim and statuesque, but this was most likely not the case. The Egyptian diet of beer, wine, bread and honey was high in sugar, and studies show that it may have done a number on royal waistlines. Examinations of mummies have indicated that many Egyptian rulers were unhealthy and overweight, and even suffered from diabetes. A notable example is the legendary Queen Hatshepsut, who lived in the 15th century B.C. While her sarcophagus depicts her as slender and athletic, historians believe she was actually obese and balding.

7. The pyramids were not built by slaves.

Peter M. Wilson/Corbis

The life of a pyramid builder certainly wasn’t easy—skeletons of workers commonly show signs of arthritis and other ailments—but evidence suggests that the massive tombs were built not by slaves but by paid laborers. These ancient construction workers were a mix of skilled artisans and temporary hands, and some appear to have taken great pride in their craft. Graffiti found near the monuments suggests they often assigned humorous names to their crews like the “Drunkards of Menkaure” or the “Friends of Khufu.” The idea that slaves built the pyramids at the crack of a whip was first conjured by the Greek historian Herodotus in the fifth century B.C., but most historians now dismiss it as myth. While the ancient Egyptians were certainly not averse to keeping slaves, they appear to have mostly used them as field hands and domestic servants.

8. King Tut may have been killed by a hippopotamus.

Gianni Dagli Orti/Corbis

Surprisingly little is known about the life of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamen, but some historians believe they know how he died. Scans of the young king’s body show that he was embalmed without his heart or his chest wall. This drastic departure from traditional Egyptian burial practice suggests that he may have suffered a horrific injury prior to his death. According to a handful of Egyptologists, one of the most likely causes for this wound would have been a bite from a hippopotamus. Evidence indicates that the Egyptians hunted the beasts for sport, and statues found in King Tut’s tomb even depict him in the act of throwing a harpoon. If the boy pharaoh was indeed fond of stalking dangerous game, then his death might have been the result of a hunt gone wrong.

9. Some Egyptian doctors had specialized fields of study.

Blaine Harrington III/Corbis

An ancient physician was usually a jack-of-all-trades, but evidence shows that Egyptian doctors sometimes focused on healing only one part of the human body. This early form of medical specialization was first noted in 450 B.C. by the traveler and historian Herodotus. Discussing Egyptian medicine, he wrote, “Each physician is a healer of one disease and no more…some of the eye, some of the teeth, some of what pertains to the belly.” These specialists even had specific names. Dentists were known as “doctors of the tooth,” while the term for proctologists literally translates to “shepherd of the anus.”

10. Egyptians kept many animals as pets.

The Art Archive/Corbis

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The Egyptians saw animals as incarnations of the gods and were one of the first civilizations to keep household pets. Egyptians were particularly fond of cats, which were associated with the goddess Bastet, but they also had a reverence for hawks, ibises, dogs, lions and baboons. Many of these animals held a special place in the Egyptian home, and they were often mummified and buried with their owners after they died. Other creatures were specially trained to work as helper animals. Egyptian police officers, for example, were known to use dogs and even trained monkeys to assist them when out on patrol.

11. Egyptians of both sexes wore makeup.

The Art Archive/Corbis

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Vanity is as old as civilization, and the ancient Egyptians were no exception. Both men and women were known to wear copious amounts of makeup, which they believed gave them the protection of the gods Horus and Ra. These cosmetics were made by grinding ores like malachite and galena into a substance called kohl. It was then liberally applied around the eyes with utensils made out of wood, bone and ivory. Women would also stain their cheeks with red paint and use henna to color their hands and fingernails, and both sexes wore perfumes made from oil, myrrh and cinnamon. The Egyptians believed their makeup had magical healing powers, and they weren’t entirely wrong: Research has shown that the lead-based cosmetics worn along the Nile actually helped stave off eye infections.

by Evan Andrews

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