The Ancient Egyptian 

 Marketplace 



by Frank J. Yurco 



I 



n the Field Museum's recently opened exhibit "In- 

 side Ancient Egypt," one of the most innovative and 

 important sections is the marketplace setting. The 

 marketplace is unique and important because it pre- 

 sents a cross section of daily life and society in ancient 

 Egypt. It is the central element of the daily life area of 

 the exhibit, together with the Nile marsh diorama. 

 Because so much of many Egyptian exhibits focuses 



upon mummies and funerary customs, this presenta- 

 tion of daily life assumes even greater importance, and 

 the marketplace is the key to it. 



The marketplace is based upon a very interesting 

 and rare relief, that of a complete marketplace, found 

 in the tomb of two barbers and cosmeticians, Ny-ankh- 

 Khnum and Khnum-hotep, at Saqqara in Egypt. The 

 two tomb-owners, perhaps brothers, lived in the Vth 



Mastaba of Ny-ankh-Khnum and Khnum-hotep at Saqqara, reconstructed. Dynasty V, ca. 2450 b c 



"I Q © Margaret Sears 



