Figure 1.--Here we see the childen of Dwarf Seneb, chief of the Royal Wardrobe. This and other archeological evidence suggest that it was not just peasant children that commonly went naked in Egypt. The statue is dated about 2500 BC. Arifacts and paintings from later periods show similar conventions. We are not entirely sure what the meaning of the children's fingers at their lips. We believe that indicated that they were children. (Egyptian art did not always acurately use proportinality.) Also note the number of fingers used. We also do not understand why the two genders were done in different colors. And notice the colors are reversed for the adults.

Egyptian children until puberty during the summer usually went around without any clothing at all. This was epecially prevalent during the summer and for the younger children. And this was not just peasant children. Even the children of the affluent class are commonly depicted naked in Egyptian art. During the winter the children might be wrapped in cloaks and other wraps. Children might wear earrings or protective amulets. Much of what we know about the clothes worn by Egyptian children come from tomb paintings and temple carvings. There is virtually no written records. As a result the conventions for children's clothes have to be largely deduced from the paintings. The paintings more commonly depict life-like activities of the common Egyptian. They suggest that children , both boys and girls, often were naked as the warm Egyptian climate permitted. Clothing was expensive and many peasants could not afford to clothe children who would quicly dirty their clothes in play or agricultural activities. This does not mean that children never wore clothes until puberty. Paintings do not always show children naked, although the younger the child, the more likely he is to be naked in the paintings. It is likely that many young children might have some clothes. They might have normally gone naked, but may have been dressed for special occassioins or on cool evenings. Children, even those painted as naked, often wore jewelry, including earrings, collars, bracelets, armlets and anklets. Girls might wear hair ornaments. [Springer]

Common Convention

Egyptian children until puberty during the summer usually went around without any clothing at all. Adults for that nmatter did not wear a lot of clothing. Clothing was expensive, much more expensive in relative terms then in out modern age. Thus it is not surprising that children did not commonly wear clothing. This was epecially prevalent during the summer and for the younger children. Clothing was expensive and many peasants could not afford to clothe children who would quicly dirty their clothes in play or agricultural activities. This does not mean that children never wore clothes until puberty. Paintings do not always show children naked, although the younger the child, the more likely he is to be naked in the paintings. It is likely that many young children might have some clothes. They might have normally gone naked, but may have been dressed for special occassions or on cool evenings. Early artistic depictions of children are usually naked such as the children here (figure 1). We also notice a rare stand along child done a few centuries later.

Social Class

Clothes were expensive in relative terms in ancient civilizations like Egypt. A family would soend afar greater portion of its disposable income for clothing than is the case in the modern world. Thus clothing was a major issue for a peasant family which would have existed on a narrow subsistence level. The clothes were woven by the women in the family. But this was only one of their many chores. Thus it is understandable that many hard-pressed peasant mothers in rge warm weather just let the children run around naked. The older children may have had garments for special occassions, but for the most part went naked in the warm weather. As their fathers often worked naked, it is obvious that many boys commonly went naked. At what age peasant boys began to commonly wear clothing we are not yet sure. And it was not just peasant children that went naked. Even the children of the affluent class are commonly depicted naked in Egyptian art. It is of course more likely for children to be dressed, the richer and more important the family was. But it is clear from the many availavle depictions that even among hogh-status families, it was not unusual for the children to go naked.

Age

Age trends are difficult to assess. As there are few written references to children's clothing, our basic source of information is tomb paintings and sculptures/carvings. The Egyptian convention was to depict children as small-sized adults. Thus there is no real way to assess the age of the children. Sources vary some what. Some authots suggest tht the children began wearing clothing at about age 6 years. Others suggest puberty. The reality was somewhat more complicated. Even young children might wear clothing when it was cold. And older chi=ildren might go naked in hot summer weather. And social class probably affected clothing for children. Even young boys from wealthy or nobel families might wear clothing at least some of the time. While even older boys from peasant families might go naked. We know that slaves and peasants might go naked when working so it seems reasonable that boys from these families, even older boys would go naked.

Gender

We are not entirely sure about gender differences concerning clothing. Each gender was most likely to wear the same clothing worn by their like-gender parents. we know of no specific child garments for either girls or boys. The basis difference for children is as described above, children often did not wear any clothes. Here we are not sure to what extent this was affected by gender. We suspect that it was more common for girls to wear some minimal clothing, especially older girls. We notice a sculpture with a minimal waist pubic covering. We are not sure how common this was, but it may have ben more common for girls thn boys. This may be due to the fact that men often toiled naked in the fields, but women doing their chores in the home were more likely to be clothed. Clothing children may have been largely a matter of temperature and special occassions. Egypt of course has a warm climate, but there are temperture differences and some cool nights. Any there were special days and celebrations in which people may have dressed up, including the children. This would have affected both genders. We suspect that girls may have been more interested in clothing and an earlier age, just because that is true of girls in modern society. Girls seem to mature a little earlier than boys which seems to be a bilogical, not societal function. Social class factors may also have been involved. Despite the Egyptian interest in fashion, they were inevitably plain and simple. This my have been a fashion preference, but because mothers in the home made the clohing,anything beyond basic and simple may have been beyond the means at hand in most households.

Seasonality

It was especially common for the children to go naked in the warm summer weather. During the winter the children might be wrapped in cloaks and other wraps.

Garments

We are not entirely sure what garments children wore. Presumably they would be the same as worn by their parents, perhps smaller versions. But as children are commonly depicted naked, this is a little difficult to confirm. Boys when clothed might wear little kilts or even and sometimes tunic-style shirts perhaps in cool weather. Older girls might wear ankle-length, sheath dresses like their mothers. We suspect that because the wearing of clothing by children was significantly affected by seasonal factors that cold weather garments like cloaks would have been worn. Early Egyptian society was very insular. The deserts on all sides cut down on contacts with other societies. As contacts expanded, there were fashion impacts to contact with other socities. We do not see basic garments chnging, bit we do do see changes in decoration and cut of the basic garments.

Jewelry

Children might wear earrings or protective amulets. Children, even those painted as naked, often wore jewelry, including earrings, collars, bracelets, armlets and anklets. Girls might wear hair ornaments. [Springer]

Sources of Information

Much of what we know about the clothes worn by Egyptian children come from tomb paintings and temple carvings. There is virtually no written records. As a result the conventions for children's clothes have to be largely deduced from the paintings. The paintings more commonly depict life-like activities of the common Egyptian. They suggest that children , both boys and girls, often were naked as the warm Egyptian climate permitted.

Sources

Springer, Ilene. "A Kid in Ancient Egypt," Tour Egypt Monthly (December 1, 2000).