The Craftsmen    

Every village had a craftsman. These craftsmen worked for old traditions. The craftsmen painted the tombs, but first they dried the walls.

Other craftsmen made weapons. These people were metal workers. There were also linen weavers who were almost the most important of all. Many times the craft work was exported and imported. The craftsmen that built the homes did so out of what was available--Nile mud. The mud was mixed with chopped straw and mde into bricks which baked in the sun. Even the Pharaohs beautiful palaces were made of mud. Only temples and tombs were made of stone. Important buildings were decorated. The local god of Memphis, the first capital city of Egypt, was the god of crafts.

The poor lived crowded together. All they rooms were brightly painted. Most houses did not have much furniture. Cooking was done outside. Clay models of houses have been found in ancient tombs..

The craftsmen also made the fashion and clothing. Ancient Egyptians show their wealth through their clothing and jewelry. They had fine white linen throughout the country and it was exported far. For three thousand years the tradition and clothing never changed. The linen was expensive and used in different ways. People did not wear shoes and if it was necessary, they would wear sandals.