When you think about ancient Egypt, what comes to mind? Pyramids, pharaohs, cats maybe? You probably have at least a passing knowledge of what Ancient Egypt was like, but its intrigue goes much deeper than just what you see on TV or magazines. These are 25 Crazy Things You Might Not Know About Ancient Egypt.
Giza Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt – featured image by Sam Valadi via Flickr CC2.0
To keep flies away, some pharaohs kept slaves nearby that were smeared in honey

Both men and women wore makeup

It was usually green (made of copper) or black (made from lead)

They believed that makeup had healing powers

Originally, however, the Egyptians used it as sunscreen!

Children didn't wear clothes until they were teenagers

Pharaohs never let their hair be seen and would always wear a headdress called a nemes

This headdress was made famous by Tutankhamen's golden mask

Rich Egyptians usually wore wigs

Poor Egyptians usually wore pig tails or just had their hair long

Boys usually had their heads shaved except for one long braid. This was meant to protect against lice.

Egyptians believed that the Earth was flat, circular, and that the Nile flowed right through the middle

Although women enjoyed legal and economic equality with men, they were not seen as socially equall

Graffiti discovered at the excavation sites has shown that some of the teams who built the pyramids actually gave themselves names like the "Friends of Khufu"

During mummification, the brain was pulled out through the nostrils

Every other organ was also removed and placed in a jar

The only organ left in the body was the heart because it was believed to contain the soul

Many ancient tombs were found to contain toilets

The world's oldest dress was found in Egypt and is estimated to be 5,000 years old

Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt was actually Greek

Contrary to popular belief, the teams that built the pyramids weren't slaves, but paid laborers. This false belief began with Herodotus, the Greek historian.

Interestingly enough, they were paid in beer!

1 gallon of beer per day to be exact

The Ancient Egyptians shaved their eyebrows off to mourn the deaths of their cats

And possibly the most uncomfortable fact of the day - ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone!
