The Dark Side of Ancient Egypt: 10 Fascinating Facts That May Surprise You

Cleopatra’s Beauty Secrets and Other Strange Customs of Ancient Egypt​

Even children know that Egyptian pharaohs ruled one of the greatest civilizations of antiquity. But few people realize just how bizarre and paradoxical daily life in ancient Egypt could be.

Bathing in Donkey Milk​

Like any other woman, Cleopatra wanted to look her best. But instead of going to a beauty salon, she bathed in… sour donkey milk! “Gross,” you might think. But no! Hundreds of donkeys and milkmaids worked tirelessly every day to ensure the queen could soak in her luxurious bath. Sounds like the indulgence of a spoiled woman, right? Actually, Cleopatra VII knew exactly what she was doing.

Sour milk produces acid, which acts as an excellent exfoliant. And Cleopatra wasn’t the only one who knew this trick—Emperor Nero’s wife also bathed in milk, and even Napoleon’s sister used donkey milk for skincare.

Hunting Hippos​

Imagine a massive, wild, and dangerous creature weighing several tons, capable of invading your backyard at any moment. A nightmare? Not for ancient Egyptians—hippos frequently made their lives miserable. These giants destroyed crops, damaged boats, and caused endless trouble for ordinary people. It’s no wonder that, in Egyptian mythology, the hippo was associated with the evil god Set, the embodiment of chaos and destruction.

Only the most daring, including the pharaohs, hunted hippos. Killing such an animal was considered an admirable feat. If successful, the hunters would get plenty of food. Although they probably lost much interest in culinary delights after such battles.

The problem was that Egyptians didn’t have any powerful long-range weapons. Their bows were useless against a hippo’s thick skin. They had to rely on spears, which they had to throw directly into the animal’s open mouth. No surprise that this ancient "sport" sometimes ended in tragedy. According to one legend, Pharaoh Menes himself died from wounds inflicted by a hippo.

Liquid Bread​

You would never hear someone in an ancient Egyptian tavern say, “Hey, bring me a pint of froth!” Egyptian alcoholic beverages were nothing like today’s. Their beer was made from undercooked barley or wheat flatbreads, soaked in date juice, and left to ferment. The resulting thick, porridge-like drink was consumed through a hollow straw to filter out the sediment at the bottom.

Can you imagine the pyramid builders working under the scorching sun and then quenching their thirst with this mixture after a long day? For them, this thick drink was actually part of their wages! As they say, taste is largely shaped by cultural tradition. What seems disgusting to us may be considered a delicacy elsewhere.

Career-Oriented Women​

A housewife who cooked and wove cloth—that was the traditional image of an ideal Egyptian woman. However, many women wanted more and pursued careers. One important female profession was that of a “sealer.” Since locks had not yet been invented, Egyptians hired women to seal important rooms with clay stamps. To enter, one had to break the seal—an ancient form of security.

Brewing was also a popular profession for women. Beer wasn’t just enjoyed for its taste but was also used in religious rituals. The Egyptians loved their “bread wine,” as Pliny the Elder described it. And let’s not forget medicine—Peseshet, an Egyptian court physician of the First Dynasty, supervised dentistry and obstetrics.

Husbands Pawning Their Wives​

Slavery was unacceptable in the construction of Egypt’s sacred pyramids—only free men were allowed to build these divine structures. However, debt slavery was common in daily life. If someone couldn’t pay their bills, they often sought help from creditors. But men sometimes acted incredibly ruthlessly—they pawned their wives instead of themselves!

Imagine this: a poor Egyptian woman, struggling to make ends meet, suddenly finds herself enslaved because her husband has failed to manage his money. The poor women are left in tears as they work from morning till night for their “master,” because they can only be released when they pay off all their debts.

However, some clever women managed to turn this situation to their advantage. If a woman began an affair with her master, she could marry him and gain her freedom! Perhaps this was an early inspiration for the captivating plots of modern soap operas.

Pumpkin Enemas​

Cleansing rituals deserve special attention because the Egyptians made them an essential part of life as early as the 3rd millennium BCE. According to legend, they got the idea from watching ibises cleanse their intestines using their beaks and water. People adopted this habit and began introducing fluids… but not through the mouth.

They used cow bladders with tubes, gourds, and even a special plant called the "thieving gourd" for enemas. Constant beer enemas surely led to inflammation, but for the Egyptians, this was just a normal hygiene practice.

Hedgehog for Dinner​

The sparse grasslands didn’t allow the Egyptians to raise much livestock, so their diet was mostly plant-based. Only the wealthy and noble could afford beef for dinner. But why not pork? Egyptians considered pigs sacred animals associated with the goddess Isis.

Here’s something even more interesting: one of the most prized delicacies in ancient Egypt was… hedgehog meat! They roasted it in clay, removed the spines, and ate it with dates and “bread wine.” Now that’s an exotic dish!

Pregnancy Tests​

A pregnancy test existed in ancient Egypt! Imagine this: a woman would "moisten" wheat and barley seeds and observe their growth. If they sprouted faster than the control group, congratulations—she was expecting! Some modern scientists claim this method actually had a 70–85% accuracy rate. The reason? Hormones in the mother’s urine stimulate plant growth.

Statue of "Mother and Child" from the Middle Kingdom period.

However, this test couldn’t determine the baby’s gender. Although the Egyptians tried—if oats grew faster, they expected a boy; if wheat grew faster, they expected a girl. Some misconceptions are just hilarious, aren’t they?

Exotic Beauty Treatments​

The famous Cleopatra VII owned beauty tools that would fascinate today’s beauty bloggers! For example, dried crocodile dung. Yes, you heard that right. Cleopatra used it as a facial exfoliant. And for makeup? Eyeshadow containing lead.

The Egyptians believed makeup not only enhanced beauty but also warded off evil spirits. But that’s not all! When Cleopatra began her relationship with Caesar, she decided to help him with his baldness problem. And what did she use? A concoction of crushed horse teeth, deer droppings, and bear fat! Poor Caesar—he must have smelled like a stable.

Laxatives Three Times a Month​

The ancient Egyptians had their own version of folk medicine. For a long time, they believed that all illnesses stemmed from the intestines. That’s why they regularly took… laxatives! Yes, you heard that right. It was recommended to drink castor oil three times a month as a preventive measure. And if they suffered from constipation or diarrhea, they took it daily. Fighting fire with fire!

Ancient Egypt is a vivid example of humanity’s long journey toward freedom and personal rights. This great civilization’s legacy is full of contradictions, but by preserving it, we can gain knowledge for further progress.