What Did Ancient Egyptian Farmers Wear?
Ancient Egyptian farmers wore loin cloths made of linen, crafted from softened and beaten flax fibers that were spun into thread. Sandals were only worn for special occasions or when feet needed protection. The poor used papyrus or palm fronds to make sandals, while the rich wore sandals of leather.
Due to religious beliefs regarding animals, Egyptians did not wear clothing fashioned from animal skins or wool sheared from sheep. Linen cloth was cooler and more appropriate for Egypt’s warm climate. Egyptians were one of the first cultures on earth to use farming techniques. Flax, emmer wheat and barley were among the first grains cultivated in Egypt. Emmer wheat was used for bread and in the brewing of beer. Originally, it was too difficult for farmers to dig furrows in the heavy, clay soil near the Nile River, so they poked holes in the ground with a stick and dropped in individual seeds. The plow, drawn by oxen, was in use by 3000 B.C. While the male farmers directed the path of the plow, women followed directly behind scattering seed in the furrows. Animals were then allowed to trample the seed into the ground. Peasants worked for the owners of the land they were born onto until their deaths.
