Hella Küllmer 

Institute of Archaeology, University of Hamburg

Ladies of the House (Nebet per): Desperate Housewives in Old  Kingdom Egypt.

So far studies of social development and hierarchies in the Old Kingdom present the organisation of men within the Egyptian society as strict and well organised, regarding the social position of women of less importance. Women are defined by their relation to men: They are wives, mothers, sisters and daughters. Female professions are usually described as indoor activities, like weaving, baking bread or brewing beer, and therefore regarded as insignificant for public life and administration. On the other side male professions are referred to as outdoor activities serving the kingdom. As a result titles of women such as the title Priestess of Hathor are classified as honorary titles instead of a functional ones, suggesting that the female holders of those titles did not execute any state duties. But who was in charge of the temples of Hathor in Memphis and Dendera if not the priestesses? There were more than eight hundred of them and only about thirty males, holding the title of Priest of Hathor.

My paper argues that there has to be a different approach to the interpretation of the social position of women and female professions in the Old Kingdom: The absence of clearly defined hierarchical structures in temples and other institutions like the Chener in the King's palace does not mean that women were excluded from administrative positions within the Egyptian society. The female titles and professions have to be studied on their own and not as a part of the male process.

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