From archaeological remains, art and texts, we know that the loaves could be made in many fanciful shapes, such as obelisks, geese, cattle, gazelles, humans, flowers, vases, fruit, and geometric shapes. Every tomb owner’s first wish from those still alive passing by the tomb was 1,000 loaves of bread. Staple Food of Ancient Egypt: Bread and Beerīread was the basic staple of the Egyptian diet. Artistic representations play a very important role, texts to a lesser extent, while experimental recreations of ancient food and beverages have come to have an increasingly important function in our understanding of the food diet in ancient Egypt. Some of these were typical food in ancient Egypt, but others, such as the almonds, may have been foreign imports.Īrchaeological evidence such as these food remains found in tombs are not the only sources we have for reconstructing the diet and food preparation methods of the ancient Egyptians. These included emmer wheat, garlic, chickpeas, lentils, cumin, watermelon, fenugreek and coriander seeds, figs, dates, dum palm fruits, Christ thorn, pomegranates, juniper berries, and almonds. Lesser known are the foodstuffs that would have made the copious feast that he took with him to the grave.
The tomb of Tutankhamun is best known for the magnificent golden artifacts found inside it. Food in Ancient Egypt: Tut’s Table Meat boxes stacked up under bed in Tutankhamun’s tomb, via National Geographic
