The ancient Egyptians have been captivating our minds and imaginations for centuries, inspiring stories of ancient gods and goddesses, monuments to their gods, and, of course, the mysteries of the pyramids. But one thing we often don’t think about is how the ancient Egyptians actually made it through their day-to-day lives. What kind of equipment did they have access to? One of the major questions we have is: did they have shower heads?
To answer this question, the archaeological and textual evidence must be examined alongside the knowledge that has been collected by Egyptologists. It is known from written records and archaeological excavations that many Egyptians would use public baths or wash in the Nile river for practical purposes such as removing dirt and sweat. For some wealthier Egyptians, private baths were a status symbol. Shopping districts near the Nile or along other major rivers featured household items including tools for grooming and bathing. Commonly seen artifacts such as bell-shaped sieves and terracotta buckets may have been used to scoop and pour water during grooming and bathing rituals.
Today, we have shower heads which sit over either a fixed or handheld shower. In ancient Egypt however, piping distributed water in the same manner as it does today, but without any shower head or fixture. Egyptians used wooden or pottery vessels and a water-filled wooden tub that was placed on the floor near their bed in their room. This was drawn from the cistern in the roof. This poses the question whether or not the ancient Egyptians actually had a shower head.
Experts in the field of Egyptology believe that while shower heads may not have been common, they may have been used. Certain textual and artistic evidence implies that they may have been a part of the bathing rituals of some ancient Egyptians. For instance, textual evidence attests to the fact that the ancient Egyptians sometimes used spouts, or possibly shower heads, to fill vessels for bathing or drinking. It is likely they were not shower heads, per se, but simply an elevated source of water which may have been used like a shower head.
The artifacts that have been found by archaeologists also provide evidence that the ancient Egyptians used appliances and tools for bathing, such as the bell-shaped sieves and terracotta buckets. A pair of lion-headed bronze spouts were discovered in Luxor which date back to the 19th Dynasty of Egypt, and experts believe that they could have been used as ancient shower heads. Additionally, several dwarf-size human figures made from alabaster, faience and copper have been uncovered by archaeologists and are believed to depict shower figures or spouts.
Although we can never be completely certain, it is very likely that the ancient Egyptians did have some kind of device for bathing that could be likened to a shower head. Though shower heads may not have been commonly used, evidence suggests that some Egyptians may have owned them, or at least used devices that could be construed as shower heads.
Evidence of Sewer Systems
The ancient Egyptians had well-organized and efficient sewer systems to carry away human waste and wastewater from their settlements. The most common example of this is the Step Pyramid in Saqqara, which dates back to the 3rd Dynasty. The Step Pyramid had two large gutter systems on its north and south faces that allowed rainwater to flow off of the pyramid and into the nearby lake. There is also evidence of public sewers in the cities of Avaris and Tell el-Amarna which were built during the late Middle Kingdom. These public sewers were made of mud-brick and covered a large area, carrying wastewater away from the settlements.
The ancient Egyptians also had running water in their settlements, which was supplied by either a canal or aqueduct. In the Papyrusof Kahun, which dates back to the Middle Kingdom, instructions on how to maintain canals and aqueducts were recorded. To ensure a steady supply of water, Egyptians would also build reservoirs. The Great Reservoir at Abu Gorab, which dates back to the Old Kingdom, was built to collect and store water for irrigation purposes. This helps to further our understanding of the ancient Egyptians’ plumbing prowess.
We can also look to archaeological evidence for proof of ancient Egyptian plumbing. In 2009, a team of archaeologists led by Dr. Mark Lehner discovered a large drainage and waste management system beneath the ruins of the Eighteenth Dynasty city of Tell el-Amarna. This plumbing system included leather hoses, ceramic pipes, and brick drains that were connected to the city’s large cisterns. This system was likely used to move wastewater and sometimes even waste materials away from the city.
Textual Evidence
The ancient Egyptians also left behind a number of texts that attest to their knowledge of water management and plumbing. For instance, the Papyrus of Kahun, which dates back to the Middle Kingdom, contains in-depth instructions on how to build, maintain and repair canals, aqueducts and reservoirs. It also provides instructions on how to keep the water in these canals and reservoirs clean and drinkable.
In addition, the ancient Egyptians wrote extensively about bathing and grooming rituals. The ancient text Metternich Stela, which dates back to the 19th Dynasty, contains a poem that mentions the use of tools such as shaving razors and combs in the grooming ritual. It also mentions the use of certain vessels and tools for bathing, such as bowls, racks and basins.
Finally, the ancient Egyptians wrote about hygiene and personal care in general. The Ebers Papyrus, which dates back to the 16th Century BCE, contains numerous recipes for hygiene and health, including instructions on how to make soaps from ashes and other materials. This further attests to the fact that the ancient Egyptians had a great understanding of hygiene and personal care.
Frescoes and Carvings
In addition to the textual evidence, evidence of ancient plumbing can also be found in artwork. Frescoes depicting plumbing activities have been discovered in ancient buildings such as tombs and palaces. For example, a fresco in a tomb in Thebes, which dates back to the Nineteenth Dynasty, depicts a man performing a plumbing activity. This fresco shows a man pouring water from a bowl or pot and releasing it into a shallow trough in the floor. This suggests that at least some of the wealthier Egyptians had access to plumbing and sanitation systems.
In addition to frescoes, several ancient carvings have been discovered which appear to depict plumbing activities. The so-called “false-door” of the Sixth Dynasty King Pepy I, which was found in the funerary temple of Meidum, contains a scene of a man kneeling and pouring liquid from an ewer or bowl into a bowl-shaped basin. Scholars have interpreted this scene to represent a sanitary ritual.
Finally, numerous statues of gods and goddesses have been discovered which depict them holding a scepter, which is thought to represent a tool used for plumbing activities. The most famous of these is the Apis Bull of Memphis, which dates back to the Sixth Dynasty. This bull statue depicts the god Serapis holding a scepter which scholars believe represents a plumbing tool.
Tools and Materials
To further support the fact that the ancient Egyptians had some knowledge of plumbing, we can look to the tools and materials they used to construct their plumbing systems. In their settlements, the ancient Egyptians used mud-bricks to construct walls and embankments for their canals and aqueducts. They also used stone, wood, and copper fixtures and pipes. The copper pipes they used were made out of rolls of thin copper sheets that were artfully sewn together with thread or wire. These copper fixtures were often used to connect different parts of the plumbing system.
Indeed, the ancient Egyptians used a variety of tools to construct and manage their plumbing systems. They employed both hand and leverage tools, such as trowels, chisels and axes. They also used windlasses, tripods, levers, and various pulleys in their work. And, as mentioned earlier, the Egyptians used bronze spouts or shower spouts to fill vessels for bathing or drinking, and they also used specially designed vessels with handles for carrying and pouring liquids.
The ancient Egyptians also had a variety of materials which they could use in their plumbing endeavors. Lead was the metal of choice for the guttering on the side of buildings, and terracotta and ceramic tiles were used, as well as stone, alabaster, basalt, and other rock materials. Plaster was also used to create seals in the plumbing system.
Conclusion
To sum it up, while it is possible that some wealthy ancient Egyptians may have owned shower-heads, there is no definitive proof that such a device was common in ancient Egypt. However, it is clear from the archaeological, textual, and artistic evidence that the ancient Egyptians were aware of plumbing and had a great understanding of how to manage and maintain water systems. Many of the tools and materials they used to do this are still in use today, and their accomplishments in this regard have both captivated and inspired us for centuries to come.
