Agricultural Intensification Ancient Egypt

Throughout the centuries, civilizations have had different methods regarding exchange and agricultural intensification. Long distance trade between nearby kings or chiefs were carried out by emissaries. Trade can aid to transform chiefdoms into state-level societies, however this requires several characteristics. In order for trade to work in state-level societies there must be a centralised authority and relationships between neighboring elites must be maintained. There are three ecological elements needed for agricultural intensification to happen to state-level societies. According to Childe, agricultural intensification to occur in states there needs to be large food surpluses, diversified farming economies, and irrigation agriculture.
Boats were a significant part of the exchange in Egypt, especially for royalty. Boats were used to make trading up and down the Nile more efficient, they also proved that since the royals had boats that they had control of resources that were needed to build boats. In areas where boats could not be used to transport goods, the ancient Egyptians used sleds. They used sleds since the had no concept of the cart yet (Emery 1961). In Egypt there was internal trade and external trade. The evidence of internal trade is from the universal pottery throughout the state as well as the materials used to make the pottery such as alabaster, diorite, dolomite, and rock crystal. External trade would happen from Upper Egypt and it would go to Sinai and Lebanon. Most of the goods that Egypt got from Sinai were raw materials, such as copper, malachite, and turquoise. In early times trade with foreign states was limited, however it was instrumental in helping to expand the Egyptian state. This was most prevalent in timber building purposes, such as building the boats that was needed in order to sail the Nile, making internal trade possible. Lumber was one of the first goods to be exchanged to the ancient Egyptians, but cedar and cypress where also important resources in the First Dynasty. Having these resources aided the boat builders and architects in helping to build and form the Egyptian civilization. The exports from Egypt were mainly
The Nile was the main component of Egyptian agriculture. The Egyptian calendar was even based around the flood cycle. There were three season in the calendar Akhet (inundation), Peret (time of emergence), and Shemu (harvest season). The Nile allowed for irrigation to be a major part of ancient Egyptian agriculture. In order the benefits of the Nile to be fully reaped, the Egyptians had to have a set system in place. The system was “areas of cultivation were divided by banks of earth into basins within which the flood waters were brought through canals. This basin irrigation system retained the water until the soil had throughly absorbed it and prevented its too rapid recession as the flood level sank” (Emery 1961, 236). This allowed the fields to be useful throughout the year. Most of the crops that were harvested along the banks of the Nile were cereal crops. The cereals that were grown were emmer wheat, barley, and millet. Fruits were also harvested, such as dates, sycamore figs, grapes, and nabk berries. Flax was also cultivated and used for textiles (Emery 1961). Cattle breeding was also practiced during this period, and other domesticated animals included donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs, and possibly camels. The Nile river and the intensification of its use in ancient Egypt is what allowed for Egypt to