Birth Control in Ancient Egypt

The Kahun and Ebers papyrii document various contraceptive methods, from acacia pessaries (which actually had spermicidal properties) to the more debated use of crocodile dung. Some scholars argue that the dung acted as a mechanical barrier or altered vaginal pH, but there may have been a ritual function-linked to the god Seth, whose head is a crocodile on some uterine amulets.
Beyond the methods, the bigger question is: why did Egyptian women seek
contraception? Unlike modern assumptions about bodily autonomy, their motivations were likely rooted in maternal mortality, economic concerns, and even religious obligations (such as the celibacy of the God's Wives of Amun). With childbirth being a leading cause of death for women, controlling fertility probably wasn't just about freedom—it was about survival.
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