The Agricultural Practices of the Ancient Egyptians
The Agricultural Practices of the Ancient Egyptians
CONTENTS
1. Introduction 3
2. The Agricultural Practices of the Ancient Egyptians: j 2.1 The Farming System 4
2.1.1 Irrigation 4
2.1.2 Tools and technology 5
2.1.3 Cycle of cultivation 6
2.1.4 Crops harvested 7 g 2.2 Source of labour 8
2.3 Animal husbandry 8
2.4 Involved gods 9
3. Conclusion 10
4. Cited works 11
Introduction
From the beginning, it was clear to see that agriculture held a tremendous amount of importance to the people of ancient Egypt. Silverman (1998:66) even goes so far as to state that “The continuity and resilience of Egyptian civilization was primarily a result of its agricultural economy”. In addition, James (1985:112) attests that the Egyptians’ efficient management of their land could be seen as one of their greatest achievements. The following essay will hence serve to provide greater insight into the agricultural practices of the Ancient Egyptians.
~ THE FARMING SYSTEM ~
Irrigation
With every annual flood of the Nile, a fresh layer of silt was deposited over the land, and this built up the rich fertile soil of the river floodplain. With these annual blankets of silt and water, Quirke & Spencer (1992:16) maintain that nature irrigated the valley for the Egyptians. According to Silverman (1998:60), the Egyptians took
CONTENTS
1. Introduction 3
2. The Agricultural Practices of the Ancient Egyptians: j 2.1 The Farming System 4
2.1.1 Irrigation 4
2.1.2 Tools and technology 5
2.1.3 Cycle of cultivation 6
2.1.4 Crops harvested 7 g 2.2 Source of labour 8
2.3 Animal husbandry 8
2.4 Involved gods 9
3. Conclusion 10
4. Cited works 11
Introduction
From the beginning, it was clear to see that agriculture held a tremendous amount of importance to the people of ancient Egypt. Silverman (1998:66) even goes so far as to state that “The continuity and resilience of Egyptian civilization was primarily a result of its agricultural economy”. In addition, James (1985:112) attests that the Egyptians’ efficient management of their land could be seen as one of their greatest achievements. The following essay will hence serve to provide greater insight into the agricultural practices of the Ancient Egyptians.
~ THE FARMING SYSTEM ~
Irrigation
With every annual flood of the Nile, a fresh layer of silt was deposited over the land, and this built up the rich fertile soil of the river floodplain. With these annual blankets of silt and water, Quirke & Spencer (1992:16) maintain that nature irrigated the valley for the Egyptians. According to Silverman (1998:60), the Egyptians took
Cited: Works Brewer, D.J. & Teeter, E. 1999. Egypt and the Egyptians. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Caminos, R. A. 1997. Peasant/Farmer In: Donadoni, S. The Egyptians, 1-13. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. James, T. G. H. 1985. Pharaoh’s people: Scenes from life in imperial Egypt. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Quirke, S. & Spencer, J. (eds) 1992. The British Museum Book of Ancient Egypt. London: British Museum Press. Shaw, I. 2003. Exploring Ancient Egypt. London: Oxford University Press. Silverman, D.P. (ed) 1998. Ancient Egypt. London: Oxford University Press. Strouhal, E. 1992. Life in Ancient Egypt. London: Cambridge University Press.