THE EFFECT OF THE ANNUAL INUNDATION OF THE NILE RIVER ON THE AGRICULTURE OF ANCIENT EGYPT

THE EFFECT OF THE ANNUAL INUNDATION OF THE NILE RIVER
ON THE AGRICULTURE OF ANCIENT EGYPT

A Research Paper
Submitted to Dr. of the

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course
GEO 1113.01 Historical Geography of Biblical Lands in the Division of Biblical Studies

October 17, 2011

OUTLINE

Introduction
I. The Nile River
II. The Annual Inundation
A. Flood Cycles
B. Flood Fluctuations
i. Low Flood ii. High Flood
III. The Irrigation of Ancient Egypt
IV. The Crops of Ancient Egypt
Conclusion

ii

THE EFFECT OF THE ANNUAL INUNDATION OF THE NILE RIVER
ON THE AGRICULTURE OF ANCIENT EGYPT

Introduction “For most Egyptians, from ancient times to the present, farming of some sort or another has been the basis of economic life. Either farming for food or farming for cash-crops and textiles, Egyptians have a long tradition of working the land.” 1But Egypt’s climate is basically rainless and has a harsh summer heat. How would ancient Egyptians have been able to farm? The answer to this question is simple, the annual inundation of the Nile River. This annual flood allowed ancient Egypt to become prosperous because of abundant and diverse crop production.2
2
The Nile River

The ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, called Egypt “the gift of the Nile.”3 Ancient Egyptian life centered on the Nile River. As an irrigation system, a transport route and a flood source, it was the source of life. Without the Nile, Egypt would not have existed.
The Nile is the longest river in the world at 4,160 miles. The river begins in Burundi, Africa and flow north through Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea. Over 600 miles flow through the land of Egypt.4 The Nile actually begins as two rivers: the White Nile flowing from Burundi and the Blue Nile flowing from northern Ethiopia. At the tip, the Nile splits in two parts forming the Nile Delta. From this point, the Damietta flows east and the Rosetta

Bibliography: "Ancient Egypt." In Encyclopedia Americana, 21, 37-39. International ed. Danbury Conn.: Scholastic Library Pub., 2005. "Ancient Egypt." In The World Book Encyclopedia, 135-144. 2010 ed. Chicago, IL: World Book, 2010. Cerveny, Randy, and Niccloe Cerveny. "Egypt & Water: The Lifeline of a Civilization." Weatherwise 59, no. 6 (2006): 20-26. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed September 4, 2011). Doyle, Noreen. "The Fertile Triangle." Calliope 21, no. 2 (2010): 11. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed August 30, 2011). ———. "The River of Life." Calliope 21, no. 2 (2010): 5. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed August 30, 2011). Hassan, Fekri A., and James Graham-Campbell. "The Dynamics of a Riverine Civilization: A Geoarchaelolgical Perspective on the Nile Valley, Egypt." World Archaeology 29, no. 1 (1997): 51-74. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed September 4, 2011). Hatch, Cynthia. "The Land of the Nile." Faces (07491387) 23, no. 1 (2006): 8. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed August 30, 2011). Hussein, Angela Murock. "The Great Prize." Calliope 21, no. 2 (2010): 32. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed August 30, 2011). Johnson, Jeanne. "Egypt." In The World Book Encyclopedia of People and Places, 362-375. Chicago, IL: World Book, Inc., 2003.