Discovering Ancient Egypt

Discovering Ancient Egypt — page 3 — CHAPTER ONE SETTLEMENT OF THE NILE VALLEY or more than 10 000 years hunters and gather ers roamed the Nile valley in northeastern Africa A swampy plateau overgrown with trees rushes and papyrus the narrow valley was home to the world's longest river the Nile As the climate became hot and dry harsh desert conditions developed on either side of the 4 132 mile long 6 650 kilometer river The Nile became the only oasis for drinking water food and transportation Eventually it became what the ancient Egyptians believed to be the gateway to the afterlife This dependency on the Nile both physical and spiritual is reflected in the first verses of the ancient Hymn to the Nile Hail to thee O Nile Who manifests thyself over this land and comes to give life to Egypt The formerly nomadic Egyptians estab lished villages and towns along its riverbanks The time of this settlement is known as the Predynastic

Discovering Ancient Egypt — page 4 — inst SMSP Known for being the longest river in the world the Nile rises just south of the equator and flows northward through northeastern Africa Its waters drain into the Mediterranean Sea Era 5th millennium BCE c 2925 BCE It would be the origins of one of antiquity's most important civilizations ancient Egypt Agriculture and Dietary Habits In order to control the Nile the ancient Egyptians invented a year round irrigation system It sent river water along short canals to nearby fields With an ongoing watering system farmers could plant seeds and grains They developed a measuring system that allowed them to plant such crops as wheat

Discovering Ancient Egypt — page 5 — on N AP About 96 percent of Egypt s total area is desert To aid in the cultivation of produce farmers use irrigation on the banks of the Nile River This practice which is still used today dates back to ancient times and barley These ingredients were used to make such Egyptian staples as bread soup and beer The ancient Egyptians also used the land to domesticate long horned cattle sheep goats and geese These animals pro vided food and the cattle also supplied labor to plow the fields and carry heavy loads Ancient Egyptian Artisans The ancient Egyptians were skilled artisans They used nearby resources to build homes IO

Discovering Ancient Egypt — page 6 — SETTLEMENT OF THE NILE VALLEY CIVILIZATION S FIRST SOLAR CALENDAR Egyptian farmers set out to predict the Nile s flood ing cycle They wanted to determine when the ideal planting season would come each year In approxi mately 4236 BCE they created a 365 day agricultural calendar This was the first solar calendar consist ing of 365 days in recorded history The Egyptian calendar consisted of 12 months Each month was made up of 30 days An additional five days were added at the end of each year to keep calendar dates better aligned with the sun's movement The calendar year was divided into three seasons the inundation flooding season winter when the waters receded and summer the dry season or harvest The agricultural calendar made it possible for farmers to harvest a high yield of annual crops make clothing and craft home goods The first Egyptian homes were lightly built huts However later homes were made of mud bricks and more sophisticated They had wood framed doors small windows and floors of straw matting Paintings often decorated the walls and although wood was scarce it was eventually imported IIT

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