Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Episode Title: How Filthy Were the Egyptians?
Host: Dr. Kate Lister
Guest: Dr. Campbell Price (Curator of Egyptology, Manchester Museum)
Release Date: January 9, 2026

Overview

In this lively and irreverent episode, sex historian Dr. Kate Lister invites Egyptologist Dr. Campbell Price to dig into the realities versus myths of ancient Egyptian cleanliness, beauty, and bodily habits. The pair unravel popular perceptions and taboos around bathing, perfume, toilets, ritual purity, and even circumcision, separating Hollywood fantasy from muddy archaeological fact. Their enthusiastic discussion uncovers how hygiene, health, sex, and social status were intertwined in ancient Egypt.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Myths and Realities: The Image of Cleanliness

• Hollywood vs. Reality
  Ancient Egyptians evoke a dual image: “very well-groomed, always on point, wigs just kind of on fleek ... dazzling for the gods” (Campbell, 04:52), but also as “rotting mummies ... coming to get you” (05:10). Modern perceptions are heavily influenced by western, especially Victorian, stereotypes and colonial experiences of Egypt as both exotically clean and threateningly ‘dirty’.

• The Western Colonial Gaze
  Kate and Campbell discuss how British colonial discomfort and language (“bandages,” “pollution,” “hot and sweaty”) clash with artifacts and texts depicting extreme care in personal appearance—a paradox that pervades modern pop culture and academic study (06:18–07:42).

2. Hygiene Practices, Bathing, and Water Access

• Are Cleanliness and Godliness Connected?
  For elites and priests, especially temple functionaries, purity was essential: “You need to abstain from sexual relations, you need to shave all bodily hair off, you need to wash ... using a sodium compound, salt, what Egyptology calls natron” (Campbell, 11:20). Temples were “houses of the gods” that required ritual purification (12:00).

• Baths and Showers: Not Roman Style Actual public bathhouses predate Roman influence, but not evidence of communal or private bathtubs in Egypt. Instead, “the standard way for a relatively well-off person seems to be to have a shower. ... You need someone with a big pot of water to pour it over you” (Campbell, 15:34).

• Soap or Something Like It? They used scented oils, fats, and “unguents”—not true soap. Cleaning likely involved applying oils, possibly scented with resins or floral notes, and scraping or rinsing off (17:27–19:47). The term “unguent” is humorously beloved by Campbell (17:27).

Notable Quote

“The ancient Egyptian word for incense means literally ‘to cause to be divine’. There’s something about the power or presence of the gods letting that smoke, you know, get to work.” — Campbell Price (13:34)

3. Perfume, Adornment, and Beauty Rituals

• Perfume Culture
  Egyptians prized aromatic substances like myrrh and frankincense: “There are allusions to smelling nice, and there’s love poetry about, you know, your beloved smells nice” (21:32). Perfume cones (wax or fat laced with scent) may have been worn on wigs at parties and feasts—possibly depicted in art, but also found in some burials (24:16–25:31).

• Beauty for All?
  While beauty artifacts like combs and makeup applicators come mostly from elite graves, evidence from workers’ towns show regular people took care in appearance, especially during festivals (35:40–37:52). Items included “carbon to make kohl,” wigs, and “juniper berries ... to make rouge.”

Memorable Moment

“Don your wig for a happy hour—nudge nudge, wink wink ... But on top of the wigs ... perfume cones where you mix perfume ... with wax ... and in the heat it melts and it kind of oozes down your wig and drips. ... You could imagine it being quite, you know, quite seductive.” — Campbell Price (23:00–24:16)

4. Dirty Business: Toilets, Waste, and Ancient Plumbing

• Scarcity of Archaeological Toilets
  “For a civilization that lasted 3,000 years ... the number of archaeologically attested toilets ... is minuscule” (26:05). There’s a famous stone toilet seat in Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, but little else has survived.

• Greco-Roman Observations and Gender Roles
  Herodotus, the Greek historian, relished sharing oddities like women urinating standing up and men sitting down—possibly exaggerations or cultural misunderstandings, possibly based on real but rare practices (27:08–28:28).

• Royal Toilet Attendants? Elite status meant intimacy; manicurists, dentists, barbers, and possibly “Groom of the Stool” equivalents existed for the Pharaoh (29:52–33:42). Some texts suggest, with amused speculation, a “shepherd of the royal anus” existed (33:54).

Notable Quote

“Frankly, to think of it literally ... if you believe the King is divine, any emanation from him is also divine. You need to treat that very carefully.” — Campbell Price (32:46)

5. Circumcision and Bodily Purity

• Egyptian Identity and Circumcision Egyptians contrasted themselves from ‘unclean’ foreigners through circumcision and depilation, shown in tomb art and war records: “... in the operation of removing the foreskin ... it’s happening to adolescent boys ... associated with cleanliness and Egyptian-ness.” (38:03–39:55)

• Evidence for Female Circumcision?
  No solid anatomical or textual evidence supports it as a widespread practice in ancient Egypt (39:55).

Memorable Moment

“One imagines [being] on penis counting detail in a hot battlefield ... not great.”
— Kate Lister (38:46)

6. Health, Illness, and Purity

• Health and Cleanliness Connection?
  There’s no strong evidence they linked sterility with health outcomes. Fumigation (squatting over incense) or ritual washing with natron was more about spiritual than medical cleanliness (12:47–14:08).

• Beauty Cautions
  Lead-based makeup (galena) was common, but Campbell warns: “Not great to put lead in your eyes every day” (41:36–41:47).

7. Enduring Hygiene Wisdom

• What Should We Take (or Avoid) from Egyptians? Oils and eco-friendly natural products—yes. Leaded kohl—no. Homemade perfume cones—maybe! Many beauty practices, like using hair oil or berry rouge, still have appeal today. Campbell recommends: “I actually quite like the idea of a perfume going on top of your head ... Egyptian essential oil perfume ... it lasts longer than standard cologne.” (42:44)

• Ancient Scents Still Last
  “The objects we have that are scented, including mummified remains ... still smell of that perfume. And it’s not an unpleasant smell. Kind of spicy, woody” (43:46).

Notable Quotes

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|--------------|-------| | 04:52 | Campbell | "There are two sides ... the artworks ... very well groomed ... dazzling white linens ... but then... rotting mummies ... fear of pollution and contagion." | | 10:49 | Kate | "Were they of the cleanliness is next to godliness? Was it part of a ritual of some beliefs for them?" | | 13:34 | Campbell | "The ancient Egyptian word for incense means literally ‘to cause to be divine’. There’s something about the power or presence of the gods letting that smoke, you know, get to work." | | 21:35 | Campbell | “There is clearly ... the scent of resin ... which smells nice and that survives still, you know, thousands of years after it was first used.” | | 23:00 | Campbell | “Don your wig for a happy hour—nudge nudge, wink wink ... on top of the wigs ... perfume cones ... in the heat it melts and ... oozes down your wig ... quite seductive.” | | 32:46 | Campbell | “If you believe the king is divine, any emanation from him is also divine. You need to treat that very carefully.” | | 38:46 | Kate | “One imagines on penis counting detail in a hot battlefield. ... not great.” | | 41:36 | Campbell | “There is evidence that using lead ... It’s not great to put lead in your eyes every day.” | | 43:46 | Campbell | “Objects ... scented, including mummified remains, still smell of that perfume. ... Not an unpleasant smell. Kind of spicy, woody.” |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Popular Images & Modern Stereotypes: 04:31–07:47
• Historical Evidence for Cleanliness: 08:27–12:24
• Ritual Purity for Priests & Temples: 10:49–12:24
• Bathing and Soap/Oil Use: 15:34–19:47
• Perfume Rituals and Art: 21:17–25:31
• Toilets & Waste: 26:05–33:54
• Royal Grooming & Black Magic: 29:52–33:42
• Circumcision & Body Markers: 37:52–41:15
• Egyptian Beauty Wisdom: 41:33–43:46

Tone and Style

Conversational, witty, cheeky, and rich with asides and laughter. The episode’s playful banter makes even the grimmest details (“penis counting detail” or “shepherd of the royal anus”) oddly delightful and highly accessible. Both host and guest remain scholarly yet unpretentious, consistently punctuating historical facts with “can you believe it?” humor.

Summary

This episode dismantles the myth of the squeaky-clean, perpetually perfumed Egyptian—or, for that matter, the irredeemably filthy one. Instead, we discover a nuanced story where hygiene was deeply tied to ritual purity, incense, and social status. Ancient Egyptians innovated cosmetics, perfumes, and personal care long before modern soaps and spas—and while some practices (lead kohl!) weren’t so healthy, the value placed on grooming, natural scents, and hair care still resonates. Listener beware: don’t try oil cones on your head or lead eyeliner at home!

Host’s Reflection (44:19):
“Don’t put animal fat on your head and then write ... Well, maybe you’d like that. Don’t try it at home. I’d be fascinated. Let me know on social media.”

Guest’s Closing Thought:
“I still swear by Egyptian essential oil perfume ... The ancient Egyptians were very good at planning for eternity.” (43:35–44:08)

For more on Campbell Price’s research and future work on the “ancient Egyptian face,” follow him on social media at @egyptmcr.