Beer as a signifier of social status in ancient Egypt with special emphasis on the New Kingdom period (ca. 1550-1069 BC) : the place of beer in Egyptian society compared to wine

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Some academics are of the generalist opinion that ancient Egyptian beer was onlyconsumed by the lower classes because of its low social status. This is based on thegeneralization that individuals only consume alcoholic beverages matching the status oftheir social class. Therefore the lower classes consumed beer while the upper classesconsumed an alcoholic beverage of higher status, i.e. wine. However, other academics areof the universalist opinion that Egyptian beer was universally consumed by all Egyptiansocial classes irrespective of the status of beer.This study aims to test the validity of these opposing academic opinions and also strivesto understand how statements of status in Egyptian society were devised, and what theywere conveying. This was achieved by determining the status of Egyptian beer and wineand then comparing them to the respective status of beer and wine drinkers in the NewKingdom period (c. 1550-1069) according to the factors of production, consumption,health, economic exchange & distribution, and religion. Use is made of ananthropological approach which allows the researcher to limit social bias and understandancient Egyptian society on its own terms.Results of this study indicate that Egyptian beer had a much lower status than Egyptianwine and all social classes consumed beer while only the upper classes consumed wine.The generalist opinion, therefore, is falsified and the universalist opinion validated. Theresults also indicate that the upper classes justified their beer consumption by producing,consuming and exchanging an elite beer of higher status in a manner reminiscent of wineso that it compared more favourably with the status of their social classes.This study, therefore, not only settles an old academic dispute but also provides newinsight into Egyptian beer.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University