Growing Up in Ancient Egypt

Book excerpt: This study of childhood in the Pharaonic Period deals with such aspects as childbirth, toys, games, circumcision and education. The passage of time is continued up to the stage of adolescence and marriage. Special attention is paid to royal infants and their playmates. Concluding chapters deal with juveniles in Egyptian art and the concept of children in relation to their parents and to society at large. In this original study, concentration is focused on representations of childhood in ancient Egypt and surviving objects, in addition to the wealth of textual material.