Egypt Case Studies: Make-Up

I want students to look into different aspects of life in Ancient Egypt.  They could choose the case study that they want (cosmetics, war, funeral practices, ship building, food, etc.), have a handout with questions and then have a couple of different documents to analyze about their topic.  They can complete as a pair.  Then they can draw a picture of that their case study in ancient Egypt with some basic facts.  It would be cool to have them share with each other in some way.  

Here are some questions I brainstormed for them:

1. How is beauty different in other cultures?  How is beauty different in Egypt than from today? How similar?

2. How does Egyptian's use of cosmetics a sign of "civilization" (hint: choose one of the 5 characteristics of a civilization and discuss it in relation to cosmetics)

3. Describe the make-up that ancient Egyptians used.   List 5 different things.

4. What ingredients did they use to make their make-up?

5. Draw a picture of what a typical woman's make-up in Egypt would look like. 

6. Apply to yourself:  Do you like using make-up?  Why or why not?  Do you think make-up enhances beauty or masks it?  Why do you think that woman throughout time have sought out ways to improve their appearance with make-up?  Do you think that Egyptian make-up is beautiful or excessive? 

Potential Articles:

• The Past, Present, and Future of Looking Good by Sarah Fewster (found through SIRS Discoverer.  Looks at make-up in general and has some fun facts but doesn't go into Egypt a ton)
• Fun Facts:
• Egyptians and Romans had their cosmetics buried with them so they could shine in the afterworld.
• Lettuce Head (330-30 B.C.): Ancient Egyptians put shredded lettuce on their bald spots to encourage hair growth. And they dyed gray hairs with a mixture of henna, cow's blood, warm oil, and crushed tadpoles.
• Grease Queen (69-30 B.C.):
  
   Egyptian queen Cleopatra bathed in goat's milk to moisture her skin and used bear grease to style her hair.
• Cosmetics weren't made specifically for teens until the 1940s, and those teens were encouraged to use natural colors. Then in the 1960s, teens developed their own makeup styles and trends. By the 1980s, teen cosmetics became a $20 billion industry.
•  For a great history of beauty trends, check out For Appearance' Sake: The Historical Encyclopedia of Good Looks, Beauty, and Grooming, Oryx Press, 2001
•   For more on ancient cosmetics, read "Style of the Nile: Recreating the chemistry and cosmetics of Queen Nefertiti," Discover Magazine, September 1999.
• Egyptian Make-Up (provides very simple, straightforward info on Ancient Egyptian Cosmetics)
• Cosmetics, Perfumes, and Incense in Ancient Egypt by A. Lucas (The Journal of Egyptian Archeology) 
• This seems very informational.  More of a journal article.  We don't have full access so unless we want to spend 10 dollars one day then we can't see more than one page.
• Wikipedia: Beauty and Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt
• Great simple information as always.  Emphasizes that wearing make-up in Ancient Egypt served a spiritual purpose
• Ancient Egypt’s Toxic Makeup Fought Infection, Researchers Say by Sindya N. Bhanoo
• Good NY Times article although it might be good to use another article in addition to this one.
• Looks into ingredients used in make-up and also raises the question: is Make-up good or bad?  Do we sometimes hurt ourselves to try and achieve "beauty"?  Is that okay?
• 5 Ancient Egyptian Cosmetics
• Seems like a good, simple overview.