Page 19 - All About History 58 - 2017 UK

Powerful perfumes
Ancient Egyptians believed that bad odours caused disease and
that good fragrances would chase them away — it’s no wonder that
they wore a lot of perfume! Flowers, frankincense and myrrh were
just some of the ingredients that Egyptians used to create beautiful
scents, although perfume was so expensive only the upper classes
could afford it. Among the objects discovered in Tutankhamun’s
tomb was a solid perfume, still fragrant after thousands of years.

Sea salt scrub
Though Cleopatra ruled
centuries after this make-
up box was sealed up
in Renseneb’s tomb, the
cosmetics she would
have used were relatively
unchanged. However, one
thing not included in Kemini’s
box that we know the Queen
of the Nile used regularly
was salt from the Dead Sea to
exfoliate her skin.

Henna nail polish
Henna was mixed with water to colour hair and nails yellow, Hand mirror
orange and red. Not only was henna used as an indicator of Mirrors in ancient times were
social status, but it also had cooling properties that could made from polished copper
be used to soothe the skin. Archaeologists have discovered alloy or bronze. Their rounded
lingering traces of henna on the nails of mummified pharaohs. shape and reflectiveness was
supposed to represent the sun,
a symbol of life. The handles
would be made from wood,
Kohl eyeliner metal or ivory and were often
As well as giving them their distinctive, dark-eyed look, shaped into the figure
it’s believed the Ancient Egyptians may have worn kohl of Hathor, the goddess of
eyeliner to protect their eyes from the sun, dirt and fertility and beauty. However,
disease. It was made from galena, a type of lead, which was the one found in Renseneb’s
ground into a powder and mixed with oil. This technically tomb resembled a papyrus
meant it was poisonous to the wearer but would have also stem, a common shape for
killed disease-causing bacteria. The Egyptians themselves amulets that were supposed
believed their eye make-up was magical, summoning the to ensure vitality.
protection of the gods Horus and Ra against illness.

© Adrian Mann

19