How tall were the ancient Egyptians?

In 2490 B.C., wooden boats traveled along Egypt’s Nile River while thousands of workers built a 200-foot-tall pyramid for Pharaoh Menkaure. Nearby, Menkaure’s father, Khafre, had a 450-foot-high pyramid constructed, and his grandfather, Khufu, built the Great Pyramid at Giza, which is about 480 feet tall. These pyramids, covered in shiny white limestone, sparkled in the sunlight.

The Egyptians who built these pyramids were part of a civilization that lasted over 3,000 years, one of the longest-lasting in history. During this time, ancient Egyptians created amazing art and engineering feats that still impress us today.

History of Ancient Egypt

People started living in Egypt around 6000 B.C. Over time, small villages grew into states, eventually forming two kingdoms: Lower Egypt in the north, covering the Nile Delta to the Mediterranean Sea, and Upper Egypt in the south, covering the Nile Valley. (The Nile River flows from south to north, so the southern part of the country was considered “up.”)

Around 3100 B.C., a king, later called a pharaoh, united these two regions into one country, beginning the long history of ancient Egypt. Historians divide this history into different periods and use “ca” (circa) to mean “around” when exact dates aren’t known.

Early Dynastic Period (ca 3100 B.C. to ca 2575 B.C.)

During this roughly 525-year period, early pharaohs worked to keep control over the united lands. They claimed they were protected by the falcon god Horus to gain the people’s respect. They also developed hieroglyphic writing to record things like royal commands and taxes paid in grain. A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family.

How tall were ancient Egyptians?

HIGHT OF ANCIENT EGYPTIANS

At the Petrie Museum, researchers speculated about the height of ancient Egyptians based on the size of artifacts such as sandals and headrests. Despite this informal method, the conclusions drawn generally aligned with established archaeological findings.

The transition from a hunter-gatherer or pastoral lifestyle to a structured agricultural society with the pharaoh as a divine leader had an impact on ancient Egyptian height. Research shows that their height increased from the Predynastic period (around 5000 BCE) to the early Dynastic period (around 3100 BCE).

This growth can be linked to the more stable food supply of advanced farming techniques and the formation of social hierarchies.

However, during the Dynastic period (up to around 1800 BCE), height declined, likely due to increased social complexity. This led to unequal access to food and healthcare and widened the gap between the wealthy and the poor.

Analysis of 150 skeletons from this era found that the average height for women was 157.5 cm (5 ft 2 in), and for men, it was 167.9 cm (5 ft 6 in), similar to modern heights. Notably, the difference in height between genders was smaller in ancient Egypt, at 10.4 cm, compared to the contemporary average of 12-13 cm.

Researchers were surprised, given the assumption that men had better access to food and healthcare. The findings suggest that women in ancient Egypt might have enjoyed a higher status relative to other ancient societies.

As in modern times, many factors influenced the height of ancient Egyptians. Their society was diverse, with various body types, hair, and skin colours, similar to contemporary England. An individual’s wealth and social status play a significant role in determining their physique. Unlike in today’s England, where poverty is often associated with obesity, the affluent in ancient Egypt were more likely to be overweight. Throughout history and continuing into the future, aspects such as disease, social status, food access, and cultural ideals have influenced and will continue to influence the human physique.

Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, Possibly the First Recorded ‘Giant’

A new study suggests that the remains of Sa-Nakht, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, may belong to the oldest known human giant.

Legends are filled with stories of giants, from the frost and fire giants in Norse mythology to the Titans of ancient Greece. However, giants are not just mythical; a condition known as gigantism can cause accelerated and excessive growth due to an overproduction of growth hormone, usually resulting from a tumor on the pituitary gland.

As part of ongoing mummy research, scientists examined a skeleton discovered in 1901 in a tomb near Beit Khallaf, Egypt. Previous studies estimated the bones date back to the Third Dynasty of Egypt, around 2700 B.C.

Earlier research suggested that the skeleton, belonging to a man who stood about 6 feet 1.6 inches (1.987 metres) tall, might be Sa-Nakht, a pharaoh from the Third Dynasty. According to study co-author Michael Habicht, an Egyptologist at the University of Zurich’s Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, the average height for men at that time was about 5 feet, 6 inches (1.7 meters).

Ancient Egyptian kings likely had better nutrition and health than commoners, which could explain their greater height. However, the over-6-foot-tall remains would have still significantly outpaced Ramesses II, the tallest recorded ancient Egyptian pharaoh, who lived over 1,000 years after Sa-Nakht and was only about 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 metres) tall, according to Habicht.

In the recent study, Habicht and his team reexamined the skull and bones thought to be Sa-Nakht’s. The long bones showed signs of “exuberant growth,” indicating gigantism, Habicht explained.

These findings suggest that this ancient Egyptian likely had gigantism, making him the earliest known case of this condition in history. No other ancient Egyptian royals are known to have been giants.

FAQs: How tall were the ancient Egyptians?

Q: How tall were the ancient Egyptians?

The average height of the ancient Egyptians varied over time and depended on factors like social status and access to resources. Their height increased during the Early Dynastic period due to a more stable food supply. However, in the later Dynastic period, there was a decline in average height, likely due to social inequalities.

Q: Was there a difference in height between men and women in ancient Egypt?

A: Yes, but the difference was smaller compared to modern averages. The average height for women was estimated to be 157.5 cm (5 ft 2 in), and for men, 167.9 cm (5 ft 6 in). This suggests that women in ancient Egypt might have had a higher status than in other ancient societies.

Q: Are there any known cases of giants in ancient Egypt?

A recent study suggests that the remains of Pharaoh Sa-Nakht, dating back to the Third Dynasty, might belong to the oldest known human giant. His skeleton showed signs of “exuberant growth,” indicating gigantism.

Q: How did the pyramids of Giza compare in height?

The Great Pyramid of Giza, built for Pharaoh Khufu, is the tallest of the three, standing at approximately 480 feet. Khafre’s pyramid is slightly shorter at 450 feet, and Menkaure’s is the smallest at 200 feet.