Weirdest & Strangest of Ancient Egypt - Full Documentary

This informative program takes a look at the more mysterious aspects of ancient Egypt, following historians and archaeologists as they reveal a side to the innovative civilization that includes unexpected sexual behavior, beliefs in mysticism and magic, and more. We all know the Egypt of the pyramids and King Tut's tomb. But there's much, much more. The daily life of ancient Egyptians was filled with magic and mystery. It takes a closer look at the beliefs and habits of one of the world's oldest cultures. There was intrigue in the royal palace, divine cats, and an entire industry devoted to ushering the dead into the next world. Spells, potions, and incantations ruled every aspect of life. Yet even in these unusual customs, we'll find the human face of the ancient people of Egypt.

When we think of ancient Egypt, we can’t help but envision a sea of pyramids. We’ve seen lots of films about mummies and pharaohs’ tombs and we know that Egyptians invented paper. But there are still some facts that teachers didn’t tell us about in school. For example, pharaohs weren’t fit people like they were depicted in the pictures.

Their lipstick was made from crushed insects.

Red carminic acid extracted from cochineal or scale insects used to be used as a makeup component. However, modern women, unlike Cleopatra, don’t have to extract carmine dye to produce makeup. To apply lipstick, they don’t have to boil and crush insects.

Pharaohs used slaves as bait to get rid of flies.

Flies spoiled the ancient Egyptians’ lives even more than they do now. Today, we use different sprays and creams but King Pepi II had slaves cover themselves with honey to serve as bait for flies. Quite an unpleasant job, right?

Pharaohs suffered from obesity.

In many pictures from ancient Egypt, we can see fit and healthy people. But scientists have performed an x-ray analysis on mummies and concluded that these pictures are far from reality: rich Egyptians, especially pharaohs, were actually fat and unhealthy. Harmful foods enriched with carbs and saturated fats and alcohol contributed to obesity and health problems.

Dwarfs enjoyed privileges.

In ancient Egypt, dwarfism was considered to be a gift from the gods, so dwarfs enjoyed many privileges. They held senior positions at work, were personal assistants and jewel keepers, and worked only for The Royal Family during The First Dynasty.

There was a presumption of guilt in court.

Despite a well-developed legal system, there was a rule stating that an accused person was guilty until proven otherwise. To learn the truth, an accused person, as well as witnesses, were tortured. By the way, the accused didn’t have lawyers.