Ancient Egyptian Dwellings By Brenna Fulop UCSF 12-4-14

Most Dwellings Most of the ancient Egyptian dwellings were mud and straw bricks. They had two to three layers of bricks. They used to make huts of Papyrus reeds, plants that grew in marshes along the Nile, but they switched to mud bricks. Wood is very scarce in Egypt, so it isn’t used for building homes. They get the mud from the Nile’s annual flooding. The bricks would eventually crumble, so the more wealthy used stone instead. The houses all, excepting a few, had flat roofs.

Most Dwellings (continued) They had flat roofs, so they could use the roofs as a room as well. Windows and doors were covered with reed mats, to keep out bugs, dust, and heat. They usually had 15 people in them. They usually had straw mattresses on the floor. They were simple and plain, not much to look at, but the poor were even worse

Poor Dwellings The poor used, mud and straw bricks as well, but the only had one row, not two or three. The poor used a public well, or the Nile for drinking water. Their houses usually had 15 people in them, but that was normal. The poor sat on the floor, and usually didn’t have much furniture. They slept on straw mattresses on the floor, or with no mattress at all. The poor house was very different than the rich. Not anything special.

Rich Dwellings The rich’s houses were very different. The were usually mansions made of stone. They made them out of stone, so that it wouldn’t crumble like the mud. The rich had a private well for water, so they didn’t have to use the public. Often, the rich would have courtyards with vegetables growing in them. The rich also usually had bathrooms with indoor toilets. They had beds, with mattresses, instead of straw mattresses on the floor. The rich life was very different from the poor.

Inside the Dwelling Inside of a home there was a little bit of furniture. The most common was a low stool, but the very poor sat on the floor. They had no cupboards, instead they had reed baskets. Inside there was usually at least 3 rooms, but the rich had many more. The rich had beds and an indoor bathroom, while the poor had no bathroom, and had to sleep on either the floor, or a straw mattress.

Conclusion In conclusion, dwellings were very different in Egypt. The rich had large stone mansions, while the poor had very small houses, made of one row of mud and straw bricks. Most houses were very boring and plain, while some were large and interesting. Inside the house wasn’t very similar either. The rich had more space, and usually less people. The rich and poor were very different.

Bibliography Http://www.historyonthenet.com/egyptians/housing.htm The Egyptians – Housing http://www.experience-ancient-egypt.com/ancient-egyptian- houses.html Ancient Egyptian Houses – Layout and Function Mud and straw bricks