It is often stated that the ancient Egyptians were ardent animal lovers. They base this on several factors, such as animal-headed deities and the number of mummified animals discovered in the archaeological record.
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One of the six ancient cradles of civilization, its position on the fertile banks of the Nile in north-east Africa, allowed it to develop enormous wealth alongside hugely influential social and religious customs. It’s easy to think of Ancient Egypt as a cluster of pyramids, complicated family trees, and a pharaoh in a snazzy mask. But its citizens were more progressive in their outlook than you might expect, especially for matters of the flesh.
Ancient Egyptians placed no significant value on virginity and individuals were free to pursue sexual relationships, so long as both the parties involved weren’t married to anyone else. Premarital*x was perfectly OK for both men and women, but once you were married, they expected you to be faithful. The stakes could be high, not to mention rather sexist–an unfaithful wife risked being put to death, while a straying husband was more likely to be forced into a divorce.
There has been an argument over the years that prostitution was all but non-existent in Ancient Egypt, but this is now thought to owe more to the moral values of Victorian Egyptologists than an accurate analysis. Even pets which included cats, dogs, and monkeys did not live the pampered lifestyle of modern pets but were considered a useful addition to the household.
For example, cats were homed in order to keep rats, mice, and snakes away from the home, and the grain storage and dogs were used to aid with the hunting of small prey in the desert and the marshes. Even cats are depicted on hunting expeditions in the marshes where it is thought they were used to flushing out the birds from the reeds. Representations of intercourse with animals, with corpses, and with siblings all have a place in the story of sexuality in ancient Egypt.
The Egyptians can take credit for the invention of contraception–the first written record of the use of spermicide is from 1850BC and involved inserting crocodile dung and fermented dough into the vagina. It’s thought this method did work to some extent, probably by lowering pH levels.
According to some historians, Ancient Egyptians also learned to flip crocodiles onto their backs (to prevent them from attacking) before having s₤x with them. This apparently improved male virility (the fact that bestiality was technically illegal seems to have been conveniently ignored). Further, this is noted to have happened because the ancients believed it would bring the person doing the penetration good fortune and prosperity.
