Gender in Ancient Egypt: Norms, Ambiguities, and Sensualities

Wooden model of an Egyptian kitchen (men and women engaged in grinding, baking, and brewing), 12th Dynasty, Egyptian Museum Berlin, Inv. 1366, courtesy of
Wikimedia user AndreasPraefcke.

Near Eastern Archaeology 79:3 article, “Gender in Ancient Egypt: Norms, Ambiguities, and Sensualities,” by Uroš Matić, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Muenster (Germany) working on violent body treatments of enemies and prisoners of war in New Kingdom Egypt.

This article looks at new trends in the study of sex and gender in ancient Egypt, especially as influenced by gender and queer theories. Matić considers notions of binary gender, third gender, and same-sex relations, with a final look at the endurance of folk tradition in Egyptian fertility practices.