Geography: how did the geography of Egypt influence life in the region?
How did geography affect Ancient Egypt
Why was the Nile important
February 22, 2057
Along the banks of the Nile River lies rich soil called silt for farming. Egypt is surrounded by scorching hot deserts with no place to farm, but since the Nile River provides silt, the Nile was Egypt’s only source for food. We observed a plant known as papyrus used to make rope, sandals, baskets, rafts, and paper. Without papyrus Egypt would have no way to write and keep documents and records. The Nile River, consisting of mud, allowed the Egyptians to build mud bricks for houses. The Nile also provided transportation so that they could trade for the resources they didn't have. From where we were we could see almost everyone working in the fields, tending to crops probably because Egypt’s main job was a farmer. Only because farming was major in Egypt, it forced them to create a more efficient way of harvesting and growing crops. New technology like the shadoof was created and improved farming in Ancient Egypt. The shadoof is a bucket attached to a long pole which allowed farmers to scoop water from the Nile into the basins or irrigation canals. In current time some farmers still use the shadoof. Without new technology Egyptian farmers would have never planted and harvested crops so quickly. Also, the Nile provided secure protection from invaders. The large cataracts and marshy area by the Nile delta prevented ships from entering and attacking. Even though the deserts on both sides of the Nile provided no use for farming the provided protection from invaders coming on foot. All sides of Egypts were protected by an element of geography which let them develop peacefully. The Nile River also influenced religion. Since the Nile was Egypts only source of food, they worshipped it as the god Hapy, the bringer of water and fertility. We heard them sing this, “You create the grain; you bring forth the barley,
Assuring perpetuity to the temples.
If you cease your toil and your work,
then all that exists is in anguish.”
By singing this prayer, the Egyptians believed the Nile would keep providing fertile soil for the crops to grow, protection from and invaders, and a way to write and communicate.
Painting of Egyptians on the Nile is from briticanna.com
Why was the Nile important
February 22, 2057
Along the banks of the Nile River lies rich soil called silt for farming. Egypt is surrounded by scorching hot deserts with no place to farm, but since the Nile River provides silt, the Nile was Egypt’s only source for food. We observed a plant known as papyrus used to make rope, sandals, baskets, rafts, and paper. Without papyrus Egypt would have no way to write and keep documents and records. The Nile River, consisting of mud, allowed the Egyptians to build mud bricks for houses. The Nile also provided transportation so that they could trade for the resources they didn't have. From where we were we could see almost everyone working in the fields, tending to crops probably because Egypt’s main job was a farmer. Only because farming was major in Egypt, it forced them to create a more efficient way of harvesting and growing crops. New technology like the shadoof was created and improved farming in Ancient Egypt. The shadoof is a bucket attached to a long pole which allowed farmers to scoop water from the Nile into the basins or irrigation canals. In current time some farmers still use the shadoof. Without new technology Egyptian farmers would have never planted and harvested crops so quickly. Also, the Nile provided secure protection from invaders. The large cataracts and marshy area by the Nile delta prevented ships from entering and attacking. Even though the deserts on both sides of the Nile provided no use for farming the provided protection from invaders coming on foot. All sides of Egypts were protected by an element of geography which let them develop peacefully. The Nile River also influenced religion. Since the Nile was Egypts only source of food, they worshipped it as the god Hapy, the bringer of water and fertility. We heard them sing this, “You create the grain; you bring forth the barley,
Assuring perpetuity to the temples.
If you cease your toil and your work,
then all that exists is in anguish.”
By singing this prayer, the Egyptians believed the Nile would keep providing fertile soil for the crops to grow, protection from and invaders, and a way to write and communicate.
Painting of Egyptians on the Nile is from briticanna.com
How did the geography of Ancient Egypt help agriculture develop
February 23, 2057 In the Nile River valley, we saw the effect that water has on the landscape. The lush, green Nile valley and delta contrast sharply with the barren deserts that stretch out on either side of the river. The change in landscape can be so sudden that a person can stand with one foot in fertile soil and one foot in barren sand (McTighe). This area, also known as the black land to the Ancient Egyptians, is where they would plant their crops. They planted their crops here because it was the only place with a fertile soil called silt. Without the Nile River Valley the Egyptians would have no place to plant crops and no crops meant no food for the Egyptians. Egyptians also planted a crop called papyrus which was also used to make rope, sandals, baskets, and most importantly of all, paper. Without the crop papyrus, Egyptians would have no way to write and communicate. Hieroglyphics might have not even been formed. Also the weather in Egypt let the Egyptian farmers develop a flooding cycle because of the rain. When the fields flooded it was planting season because the flood provided silt to the soil. After that, farmers tended to the crops and finally before another flood, the farmers harvested the crops. The weather in Egypt helped develop an organized system of growing crops. How did the flooding of the Nile affect the Ancient Egyptians February 25, 2057 The flooding cycle of the Nile River helped the ancient Egyptians find a more reliable and organized way to plant crops. Here is the Nile flooding cycle: Akhet- the time when the Nile floods, leaving fertile deposit known as silt Peret- the time when the farmers tend to and irrigate the crops Shemu- the time of harvest Without the Nile flooding cycle, the Egyptian farmers would have no organized way to grow crops like the Mesopotamians. Since the Mesopotamians couldn’t find a good time to grow their crops, they would often be washed away by a flood or not get enough rain or sunshine. The Egyptians would have ended up just like the Mesopotamians if it weren’t for the Nile floods. Also, the Egyptian farmers created new technology because they needed a more efficient way to harvest and tend to the crops. For example, the Egyptians created a tool called a shadoof. A shadoof is a bucket attached to a long pole that lifts water from the Nile and empties it into basins. Most modern Egyptian farmers still use this tool today. If it weren’t for the Nile floods, the Egyptians wouldn’t have needed new technology like the shadoof. One final thing the Nile flooding cycle did was forcing the Egyptians to use math. They needed to measure the area of their lands to see how much crops they could fit in their fields. When floods washed away boundary markers that divided one field from another, farmers used geometry to help them recalculate where one field began and the other ended. |
*if you click on the picture it will take you to the website we found it on
How were the Egyptians protected by their physical environment?
February 24, 2057 The Egyptians were surrounded by two barren deserts, the east and west deserts, also known as the ‘red land’ to the Egyptians. Since the climate of the two surrounding deserts was scorching hot and their size together equaled 348,490 square miles, they kept invaders out but kept neighboring countries out. Since they could not reach as many countries, it would be harder to trade. Although there was not much trade, the deserts also let the Egyptians develop peacefully. In addition to the deserts, other physical features protected Egypt. To the far south, the Nile's dangerous cataracts prevented enemy ships from attacking Egypt. In the north, delta marshes stopped invaders who sailed from the Mediterranean Sea. These physical features gave the Egyptians advantages that Mesopotamians lacked (McTighe). Fortunately, the Egyptians were not completely isolated, for the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the east provided routes for trade. The Egyptians were protected from all sides: the cataracts to the south, the delta marshes on the north, and deserts on the east and west. One of Egypt's desert. Picture found from this link
Shemu. Picture found from this link
Peret. Picture found from this link
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