ly 1070 332 B.C.E. This was followed by The Ptolemies, and the Roman period, with the Islamicisation of Egypt beginning about 640 C.E. (Rauch, 1995).
The most productive era of the Dynastic Period was the new Kingdom, which was characterized by the great pharaoh rulers like Amenhotep, Ramses, Akhenaten, and Tutanhamun. Egypt experienced considerable domestic prosperity and peace, becoming a major power in the region during this time.
Social, religious, and economic factors are all relevant in looking at the dress of various classes of Egyptians. While all tended to wear certain kinds of things, such as tunics and simple dresses, there were important distinctions between the clothing of slaves, artisans, farmers, and the elites.
For example, in looking at the clothing in Figures 2, 3, and 4 (Hansen, 1956), it is apparent that the clothes of the workers are much more simple, and much plainer, than the clothes of members of the royal family or the priesthood. On the other hand, they do provide covering, unlike the clothes of some of the slaves, which tended to be either a simple loin cloth or a beadwork belt. Other distinctions include the use of a traditional and ceremonial leopard skin by the High Priest and the wearing of false beards by the pharoahs (See Figure 2 and Figure 4).
These distinctions are also made apparent through the artifacts contained in the tomb of an individual of ancient Egypt named Meket Re. His tomb included a number of models, with the individual figures in those models dressed in different kinds of clothes. The rowers in a boat contained therein wore a simple skirt, belted above the waist. An offering bearer wore anklets, braceletes, and a patterned and pleated dress. Farm workers in the granary wore basic loin cloths, belted over the shoulder. Each of these had distinctive garb which presumably related to their status.
However, religion provided a unifying element in the clothing....