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Akhenaten, Nefertiti, & Their Three Daughters
Limestone plaque depicting the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (r. 1353-1336 BCE) on the left holding one of his daughters and Queen Nefertiti (c. 1370 to c. 1336 BCE) on the right with one daughter sitting on her lap and the other resting on her left shoulder. The couple is seated under the God Aten and his rays. Several cartouches of Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Aten can be seen. Note the shape of the head/skull, belly, and hips/thighs, typical of Amarna art. From Amarna, Egypt. New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, c. 1345 BCE.
Neues Museum, Berlin.
Questions & Answers
Did children in the ancient world play with toys?
- Yes, children in the ancient world played with dolls, toy soldiers, wooden weapons, pull-toys, balls, figurines, and many other playthings.
How young were children put to work in the ancient world?
- The age at which a child went to work depended on his or her social standing. A lower-class child was expected to help with work as soon as they were able; an upper-class child might not assume responsibilities until around the age of seven, if then.
Why are children so underrepresented in ancient art?
- Children were understood as "adults in training", not as individuals worthy of consideration in their own right, except as subjects in funerary monuments or artworks celebrating motherhood, the family, or a divine child.
At what age did children in the ancient world begin attending school?
- In ancient Rome, children began school around the age of seven. In ancient Mesopotamia, education was optional, and the children of the wealthy began school around the age of eight - the same with Egypt.
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External Links
Archaeologies of Childhood | Childhood in Ancient World
exhibitions.kelsey.lsa.umich.edu
Children in the Ancient World - Local Histories
localhistories.org
Children in the Ancient Near East - The BAS Library
library.biblicalarchaeology.org
