These early farmers, who lived in huts made of poles and sun-dried mud bricks, grew wheat for making bread and barley for brewing beer.
The ancient Egyptians name for their land was Kemet, the ‘black land’ because of the rich black mud left on the rover banks after the midsummer floods receded. The soil in the Nile River Valley was very fertile for farming.
When the flood waters receded in the autumn, crops were sown that grew readily through the warn winter and could be harvested before the next flood.
They used the Nile’s water to irrigate dry land. A network of irrigation canals supplied crops growing farthest away from the river with water.
Life in Egypt improved because Egyptians developed inventions that made the best use of the water from the Nile. They made farming tools to help work the rich soil.
There was also a surplus sufficient to feed other groups of people, such priests and artisans, who were not directly involved in food production, but whose knowledge and skills were highly valued.
They grew wheat, barley, fruits and vegetables. They wore cloth made from the flax they grew. Animals were domesticated for their meat, milk and wool and also trained as beasts iof burden.
Ancient agriculture in Egypt
