SAQQARA

Living in the old kingdom.

The ancient Egyptians have always been totally totally obsessed with the afterlife. Never has any civilization been so worried about the afterlife. They put so much energy into preparing for the eternity especially that they didn't do much living with the life they had. Preposterous, to say the least.

Corpses were mummified, as we know, tombs crammed with accessories. The mystery of death was at the heart of the Egyptian culture. The Old Kingdom of SAQQARA spanned for 500 years. Approximately 2780 to 2280 BC. Four royal dynasties. This was the key period of the rise of Egyptian civilization. Royal pyramids and tombs in a vast cemetery along the Nile. All this for the dead.

Scribes were vital to the success of the administration. Organized in a complex hierarchy, they ranged from the most humble bookkeepers to high officials of the state. There exists a myriad of information about the ancient civilization of Saqqara. I could but only touch on their living and activities to produce an interesting story.

It is known that the ancient Egyptians enjoyed all kinds of past times. This is evident from the basic reliefs in the mastabas of Saqqara.. They enjoyed playing games both of skills and chance. We don't know much about the leisure activities of the ordinary people, although many pleasurable activities must've been available during religious and other festivals. The nobles enjoyed hunting or relaxed with dancers and musicians in the harem. The Lord never danced or played an instrument, as the performers were professionals, appearing at funerals and banquets. The noble boys practiced wrestling, which was a means to become soldiers. They also played leapfrog!! I never knew that that game was so old.

They played parlour games as well, such as zener and mehen. Mehen or the serpent, dates back to prehistoric times. It was played on a round table representing a coiled up serpent. The body was divided into segments with the head in the center. The players used small balls and pawns shaped like lions. In this game the serpent would have to try to 'catch' the lions represented by the pawns.
This game had a symbolic significance, derived from ancient Egyptian methods of lion hunting. The hunts involved digging a trap in which the corpse of a servant was used as bait. How awful.

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Sources : Wikipedia, Vanished Civilizations, own content, Pixabay.