HSIE - History - Year 8 - Ancient Egypt: Leisure Activities

Tutankhamun would also enjoyed sports related activities such as hunting and fishing. Hunting could be an extremely dangerous sport due to the wild nature of the animals which were hunted, and Tutankhamun would not have been allowed to participate in these dangerous hunts until he was into his teens. He would also have become highly proficient in all military related sports including archery, spear throwing and riding chariots.

Although the ancient Egyptians are often depicted as death-obsessed and dour, they actually had a great appreciation for life and their culture reflected their belief in existence as an eternal journey imbued with magic. Life was a gift from the gods and people were expected to enjoy that gift as fully as possible. Inscriptions, artwork, and various objects all make clear that ancient Egyptian life focused on enjoying life and making one's time on earth worthy of living eternally. One of the ways they pursued this goal is familiar to anyone in the modern day: through sports and games.