Ancient Egyptian Beauty: The 3,000-Year-Old Secrets of Lady Touti | Full History Documentary

The tombs of Egyptian nobility from the New Kingdom conceal many treasures. After a three and a half thousand year slumber, a forgotten world emerges from the shadows. The refined frescoes exalt the memory of the deceased as well as their taste for life and its beauties. But is this how ancient Egyptians really looked? In May 1900, French archaeologist Emile Chassinat bought from a Cairo merchant 49 jars of cosmetics and ointments. They had been pillaged a few weeks earlier from a tomb that has since vanished. The pots once belonged to Lady Tuti, a courtier at Gourog in 1500 BC, and had gone with her on her journey to the next world. Their contents had survived through time. But how and why did the ancient Egyptians, men as well as women, use makeup? What fragrance did they use for their aromatic oils, ointments and makeup? And how were such precious substances made? Would Lady Tuti's cosmetic secrets ever be revealed? For over 200 years, thousands of Egyptologists have tried to solve Egypt's mysteries. In the field, successive discoveries prove that for millennia the Egyptians were concerned with their beauty. As early as 4000 BC, the people who lived on the shores of the Nile used exquisitely decorated makeup palettes made of a soft stone called schist. At Saqqara, Giza and Thebes, archaeologists have discovered numerous bas-reliefs depicting the collection of ingredients used to prepare cosmetics. From the time of the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians were masters in the preparation of fragrant substances, a practice which seems to have continued. In Alexandria, digs in Greco-Roman necropolises demonstrated the persistence of the cosmetic tradition. In his tomb, the deceased took with him a beauty set and bottles of fragrant oil. When they first entered the tombs, archaeologists always noted a peculiar smell, a mix of myrrh, incense and amber. Mummies wear their perfume for eternity. Ancient Egyptians left us more than exceptional monuments, the mark of their creative genius. In their tombs, they also left objects whose true nature long remained a mystery. All the clues pointed to an active cosmetics and perfume industry of which very little was known. When they were buried, New Kingdom courtiers like Lady Tuti took with them a complete vanity set. In the wicker baskets, archaeologists found jars with ointments and aromatic oil, combs and reed tubes with coal for the eyes. They also found finely sculpted spoons used for makeup, like this swimmer wearing only a necklace and a belt, or this duck to ward off evil. They date from 1400 BC. Mirrors of polished bronze completed the set. These beauty kits went with men and women into the afterlife. But what do we learn from these objects, long thought to be simple votive offerings? The tombs of the New Kingdom reveal a civilization at its peak, pacified and unified by military victories, pharaonic Egypt turned to intensive trade with its neighbours. At that time, a brilliant lifestyle flourished. In the tombs, the epicureanism of the Egyptians is fully in evidence. Their passion for cosmetics and perfumes can be seen in all the frescoes. The floors of banquet halls are covered with flowers. On the tables, incense is burning in delicate incense burners. Female servants hand out crocus crowns. Into their hair, men and women rub ointments, represented as white cones. For a long time, the world depicted in the tombs remained an enigma to scientists. Was that perfumed splendour merely artistic licence? On temple walls, archaeologists have deciphered elaborate formulas. They tell us that the perfume makers of antiquity mixed many ingredients, and that the different stages of preparation could last months. More than 160 of these recipes for perfumes and ointments have been documented. Modern Egypt has inherited this tradition. In Cairo, we find traces of the ancient perfume and ointment makers in the shops that sell aromatic plants. Their art and the ingredients for their aromatic oils haven't been lost over the centuries. It's here that botanical archaeologist Hala Barakat comes to find the elements of her ancient herbarium. The ointment is an ancient Egyptian tradition. It's still very important. Why do we use ointment? In a hot region like Egypt, we need something to moisturise our skin. At the same time, our skin absorbs it. The more we use ointment, the easier it is for our skin to absorb the ointment. It moisturises the skin, helps with hair growth, helps with hair colouring, and so on. Ointment has been around for a long time, and we still use it. If we look at the variety of oils here, we can get an idea of the importance and size of the production of ointment in Egypt. We extract a lot of plants from the soil. For example, we extract the olive oil, the special oil, which has been used in Egypt for a long time. We also extract the gargoyle oil, which has been used in Egypt for a long time. For example, the cammon oil. The sesame oil. Sesame oil is a famous oil in ancient Egypt. It's still used to this day. They take a thousand sesame seeds, grind them, add them to olive oil, extract the oil, and use it for hair treatment. Here in Egypt, we still use the hair oil. It's heated and applied to the hair. There are a lot of plants here that were found in ancient Egypt. A lot of plants were grown in Egypt. For example, coriander. We use it for hair treatment. Or we use it for hair treatment. For example, cammon. It's healthy or ground. Sesame was grown in ancient Egypt. It produces oil. Thyme. Or we use it for hair treatment. There are other plants that weren't grown in Egypt, but they still use it. For example, cloves. There's a connection between the ingredients for perfumes and cosmetics and those used in cooking. The passion for beauty, aroma, and flavor appeals to all the senses. To satisfy it, the ancient Egyptians organized large expeditions. In her temple of Deir el-Bahri, Queen Hatshepsut, an unusual pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, had artists depict an expedition she sent to a region that was to become legendary, the Land of Punt, also known as God's Land. In 1491 BC, in the eighth year of her reign, the female pharaoh obeyed the words of an oracle. The sun god Amun appeared and commanded her, Send your vessels on a course where they will find incense, for the incense burners of your priests are empty. There they shall load the ships full of incense trees and everything fragrant from that land. But where is Punt? In Sudan, Somalia, the Horn of Africa, or Yemen? Did the expedition sail up the Nile, or did they reach the Red Sea? The time-worn bas-relief shows only the 250 members of the expedition, zoologists, engineers, botanists, priests, and soldiers embarking on five splendid vessels. On the temple walls, priests have depicted that faraway land. The inhabitants live in houses on stilts, which are reached by ladder. Doom palms overlook a landscape reminiscent of the banks of the Nile. In Punt, Chancellor Nehesi disembarks first, followed by his guard of honour. As a sign of peace, he offers King Parayu coffers full of manufactured objects, weapons, necklaces, and bracelets. In return, the Egyptians receive bags of aromatic gums, incense, frankincense, gold, electrum, panther skins, and a great quantity of ivory. But mostly we see the much-prized incense trees. Thirty-one are being taken from the land of Punt to be replanted in the gardens of the Deir el-Bahri temple. On the return journey, they will be tended with great care. While scientists explore the interior, the expedition's sailors load amphoras with spices, precious metals, and alloys. The incense trees are part of a huge cargo of precious and aromatic ingredients, such as cinnamon. The zoologists lead on board wild beasts, giraffes, leopards, and the sacred Kynoscephalus, or dog-headed, baboons. One year after it first set out, this remarkable expedition returned to Thebes to be feted at a lavish reception, at which incense and henna were used in profusion. In its 3,000-year history, the Egyptian civilization took great risks to obtain ingredients for its perfumes and cosmetics. But it was the new kingdom that made most contact with its neighbours. Christian Leblanc, Director of the French Archaeological Mission in West Thebes, explains those links. Egypt, at that time, already had important contacts with the outside world, notably with Asia, with the Asians. There were many military and commercial contacts. And then there was the South, a distant country of origin, but also even beyond, because we know that there were pacific expeditions, led in particular by Queen Hatshepsut. And it is true that the Egypt of the new empire is an Egypt that will shine precisely through these crossings of populations, because there are Egyptians who will go to these countries, who will bring products from these countries, but there are also foreigners who will come to Egypt, and who will sometimes even settle there. This exchange has been very beneficial in the context of the evolution of this period of the new empire, because we see, effectively, converging towards Egypt a whole quantity of products, particularly precious, of rare products, which will above all facilitate this development of the Egyptian civilization, this radiance of the Egyptian civilization, and above all this taste of luxury that will settle, this refinement that men and women will have to live in a society that is a society of luxury and great refinement. Gums, resins, spices or incense came from Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen or Oman. Oils and resins came from Palestine, Syria or Libya. The ancient Egyptians were not skilled sailors, but they went as far as Cyprus for their raw materials. The Egyptians used enormous quantities of raw materials to produce their perfumes and cosmetics. The plants that weren't imported grew in the prosperous agricultural region of Fayoum, the Fayoum region southwest of Cairo. A green oasis stretches over hundreds of square kilometers along the shores of a huge lake. While the Nile Delta includes putrid marshes, Fayoum seemed like a paradise. It was the breadbasket of ancient Egypt. Flood control work begun under the new kingdom transformed this oasis into a lush and fertile landscape. Here grew the dune palms, date palms, mandrakes, cornflowers and poppies depicted in the tombs. For use in their perfumes and balms, the Egyptians didn't know about musk, civet, ambergris, which are all of animal origin. But they grew several species of flowers such as jasmine, lotus, chamomile, narcissus, white violets and roses. Even today, visitors traveling through this prosperous region bordering the desert are surprised to see that the ancient heritage is very much alive. The peasants of Fayoum still work as their ancestors did. Plowing, sowing and harvesting are done as in ancient times. Palm groves protect the small plots from the wind. At first sight, today's Fayoum doesn't seem to have kept any trace of the intense cultivation of flowers used in cosmetics. Yet further inland, fields of color suddenly appear where, as they did 3,000 years ago, patriarchs and young girls pick flowers by hand. Here they grow chamomile, green mint, peppermint, citronella and cornflowers. Marigolds are laid out in brightly colored patterns. The air is saturated with the perfume of flowers left to dry in the sun for several days. The crops will be used to produce herbal teas or spices, which are mostly exported to Europe. But part of the flowers will also be used to perfume balms, ointments and oils. The art of the ancient Egyptians hasn't died yet. Between these clay walls, a thousand-year-old activity continues. The plants drying on the wooden racks represent a precious heritage. Floriculture was so advanced in ancient Egypt that every action remains the same. Sorting and cleaning the raw material by simple sifting is still the first stage of a craft in which every operation is manual. The frescoes in the tomb of Rekhmire, dating from 1430 BC, depict work in the fields. The gestures have survived through time, revealing remarkable skills and knowledge. Using only these sieves, the laborer is able to separate stems, petals, pistils and the different pollens of the chamomile flower. Each element will then be sieved separately, and the higher quality ingredients will be used to produce aromatic substances. One of the paintings in the tomb of Rekhmire shows the different stages of making an ointment based on flowers. The master perfumer crushes the raw materials, two assistants grind them in mortars, three others cream them, and a seventh assistant steeps the preparation over a fire. In the heart of Fayoum, not much has changed. The art of making perfume and cosmetics was born in Egypt. When the Greeks and Romans reached these lands, they named this art after the black earth from the Nile's shores, Kemet or Kimia. It was the beginning of alchemy and chemistry. The ancient Egyptians were keen botanists and keen observers of their environment. They were skilled floriculturists, growing flowers for their perfume. They knew how to use the healing properties of certain plants. But how did they also become alchemists? Lady Tuti's make-up kit contains all the answers to this enigma. Some of the make-up jars discovered by Émile Chassinat haven't yet yielded their secrets. In the research and restoration laboratory of the French museums, Philippe Walter has solved the mystery of these calcite vessels by x-raying them. In sum, the contents still remain. Sixty-five samples, each no bigger than a cubic millimetre, were studied under a scanning electron microscope. The scientists established the morphology and elementary chemical composition of the powders. Complex blends of lead compounds were discovered. But only x-ray diffraction made it possible to identify the minerals used in Lady Tuti's make-up. Philippe Walter was able to quantify precisely the component minerals and determine the formula. There is evidence that in order to give more brilliance to their powders, the Egyptians sieved the minerals down to particles as small as 50 cubic microns. The analysis shows the meticulousness of the ancient cosmetics makers. But the real surprise came from the list of minerals in the make-up. The degree of finesse of this powder will allow us to obtain a whole series of nuances in the cosmetics products, to have extremely dark, extremely black highlights, or highlights with a little more grey, metallic grey reflections. But what was most important and most surprising was that associated with this product, galene, we were able to describe several white materials. One of them, the mineral cerusite, is a mineral found in the galene mines near this material. Two others are compounds rich in chlorine and lead, called lorionite and phosgenite, which are extremely surprising because they hardly exist in nature. But the Egyptians used both lorionite and phosgenite in all their make-up, which proves that they were able to produce those compounds synthetically. In order to improve their cosmetics, they observed natural chemical phenomena and faithfully reproduced them. L'Oreal's research laboratories have performed analyses of organic matter from Lady Tuti's samples, showing how much effort the chemists of ancient Egypt put into improving the texture and adhesive properties of their cosmetics. Infrared spectrometry and chromatography detected fat content ranging from 0.1 to 10%. But the scientists were in for more surprises. As they filled these jars with aromatic substances, the ancient Egyptians had more than beauty in mind. Lady Tuti also used cosmetics for reasons of health. In a hot, dry country like Egypt, care for the body was of particular importance. To treat trachoma, conjunctivitis and other eye diseases caused by the foul-smelling emanations from the Nile marshes, the ancient chemists improved the composition of their coal. Ancient Egyptians were very conscious of hygiene. In special rooms, men and women entrusted their bodies into the hands of their servants, who rubbed them with aromatic oils and ointments to soften the skin. Hair lotions were used to treat or color hair. To highlight her beauty, Lady Tuti emphasized the whiteness of her skin. The daily ritual of applying makeup was truly an art. Using black eyeliner, she drew a circle around her eyes to accentuate their almond shape. Green eyeliner was applied to the eyelashes and eyebrows. Then she put red to her cheeks and carmine to her lips. When they first entered the temples, archaeologists were awestruck by the expression of these faces. On the painted statues, they noticed the emphasis given to the eyes. They were underlined with green in the Old Kingdom and delicately outlined in the New Kingdom. Men and women took great care to emphasize this part of the face. But why this particular attention to the eyes? The answer lies in one of the creation myths of Egyptian civilization. During his fight with his uncle Seth, the falcon god Horus, son of Osiris, lost an eye. This mutilation damaged an equilibrium. So to regain his perfect beauty, Horus resorted to artifice. By applying makeup, the ancient Egyptians re-established the harmony of the universe. Thus the two celestial bodies, the moon and the sun, represented by the eyes, regained their place in the cosmos. During morning offerings, priests lit aromatic candles. Before entering the heart of the temple, the sanctuary housing the statue of the god, they expelled evil spirits by burning resin and turpentine. Then they groomed the statue, covering it with makeup and oils. Dressed in his finest attire, the god came to life. With the aromatic oils and ointments, the priests breathed divine life into representations of the divine. The temples where the gods resided were the economic, intellectual and scientific centers of Egyptian life. The manufacture of incense, aromatic oils, ointments, rouge and eyeliners also took place inside temples. Very quickly, the workshops inside these monuments of ancient Egypt became true laboratories. The formulas for the preparations were carved on the walls. Realizing how much revenue was to be raised from their preparations, the priests began producing them for the secular world. Production reached industrial proportions. The Ramesseum, the monument of Ramses the Great, is a perfect example of the great temples built under the New Kingdom in West Thebes. Around the religious sanctuaries, archaeologists discovered the administrative buildings which serviced the complex, kitchens, workshops and the beautifully preserved storehouses. Under the mudbrick vaults, the priests stored precious ingredients, crops from the surrounding fields, cosmetics and aromatic oils. The workshops where they were produced were probably a little way off. Egyptian archaeologist Mohamed Chimi, an expert on the fabrication of aromatic substances in antiquity, is familiar with the Ramesseum. He explains the significance of the preparation of balms and ointments by the priests. We use the balms and ointments to make perfumes and to prepare the flowers which are planted outside in order to cut and pick the flowers and then we squeeze them outside and then we put them in jars and we put the jars inside the temple and then we add some other ingredients such as aromatic oils and other ingredients to prepare the perfumes. Then we decide what is easy and what is hard because there is a need for a liquid perfume and a need for a hard perfume because it is very possible that the body's ointment was made with a hard perfume as creams. These things had to be prepared in order to please God. These things were put on the altar in order to please God. So many shards litter the floor of the Ramesseum that archaeologists have given up trying to collect them all. These stores housed thousands of vessels. We can imagine that this is where jars for ointments and make-up and bottles for perfume were stored. Most of those containers were made of clay. To make them, the Egyptians developed techniques still in use today. This is the potters' district on the outskirts of Cairo. Most of the local artisans come from families in which potting is a tradition over 500 years old. Even though they may no longer produce jars for cosmetics, the methods they use are inherited directly from their Egyptian ancestors. The clay comes from Aswan, as it did 3,000 years ago. Convoys of feluccas carry it down the Nile. These decantation ponds are still used to store and prepare the clay. Once again, watching these gestures takes us back to ancient Egypt, as if time were abolished by the remarkable skills and knowledge developed so long ago. The frescoes in the tomb of Rekhmire show ancient craftsmen at work. Their products were for the rich. The ceremonial jars used for ointments could be up to 20 centimetres tall. The ancient Egyptians paid particular attention to objects used for storage. Balms, ointments and aromatic oils were precious in part because they were not durable. Lady Tuti had vases made from calcite or stone. Some are very austere, others are decorated with animal heads. Sticks for applying coal were made of reed or porcelain. Some are inscribed with the name of their owner, tips for the best use of the makeup or an indication of the quality of the product. Under the new kingdom, glass began to be imported from Palestine. Glass was so precious that the Egyptians saved broken bottles. The shapes of glass bottles didn't differ much from those made of clay or stone. Frescoes show how the bottles were made. The melted glass was poured into moulds and decorated. In Cairo's working class districts perfume bottles much prized by today's Egyptians are still being made by hand. Today the silicate mix is replaced with glass from soft drink bottles, but the mastery is the same. This workshop produces perfume bottles, glass beads and lamps. Watching the craftsmen at work is like stepping back in time. Modern Egypt, Arabic and Muslim has never seemed closer to ancient civilization. Despite 3,000 years of tumultuous history, the Egyptians have preserved their love of beauty and perfumes. The thousands of bottles sold in Cairo's souk are more than tourist souvenirs. They represent a heritage that stems from a long tradition that today's Egyptians have adapted to the canons of Islamic art. The writer Gamal Gitani is familiar with the fragrant atmosphere of Cairo's streets. He appreciates the importance of the heritage bequeathed by the ancient Egyptians. In the heart of the old souk he has found an 84-year-old perfume maker. He comes from Upper Egypt as tradition decrees for only the Nubians know how to create the strongest perfumes. The old man knows the formulas for the best blends. Nowadays essential oils are obtained by a distillation process unknown in antiquity. Lady Tuti's perfumes contained no alcohol. During the holidays, whether Muslims or Christians, I see people going out with perfumes and putting them on the graves in memory of the dead. I always ask myself, when did the relationship between Muslims and perfumes start? I thought it was a recent relationship. Until I visited the museum in primary school, I saw the remains of perfumes on the graves of Lady Tuti and Lady Miriam. The remains look as if they were made a few weeks ago. Perhaps this is where the sacredness of perfume comes from. Perfume in ancient Egypt had many levels. In the temple, it was presented as a part of the service offered to God. Perfume itself was a sign of the existence of the hidden God. This is why the importance of perfume is so important. Perfume was a part of the daily life of the people of Egypt. When I enter Lady Tuti's grave, I smell the scent of the place. It is a mixture of different perfumes, such as musk, amber, and mint. The most important element is the smell of the perfume. Perfume is an essential element in any religious ceremony. Perfume has a political dimension. For example, some members of the Muslim Brotherhood prefer musk to perfume. They prefer musk to perfume because it is Sunni. Perfume has a long history in ancient Egypt. In its 3,000-year history, Egyptian civilization developed a remarkable cosmetics and perfume industry. The Egyptians were floriculturists as well as pharmacists and perfumers. In Delos, Mendes, Dendera, or Alexandria, famous workshops manufactured beauty products. Their mastery and fame inspired the Greeks and the Romans. Later, Arabic Egypt inherited the pharaoh's science. Through the centuries, Lady Tuti has shared with us her taste for luxury and earthly pleasures. The faces on the frescoes are not fantasies. Concern for the perfection of body and soul governed the lives of ancient Egyptians. These demands led them to produce more and more cosmetics. Under the Ptolemies, astounding quantities of these products were used in major celebrations. Legend has it that Queen Cleopatra bewitched Julius Caesar and Mark Antony solely by the power of her perfume. Lady Tuti applied makeup for pleasure, from necessity, and to follow a religious ritual. She wanted to be beautiful, alluring, and loved. An ancient poem offers us a glimpse of her passions and thoughts. I reveal to you my beauty in a tunic of the finest royal linen, perfumed with balsamic essence and soaked in aromatic oil.