Ancient Egyptian Farming

This allowed the Ancient Egyptians to develop their sophisticated culture.

How did Egyptian Farmers Live?

Pharaohs hired peasants to farm on the rich soil around the River Nile. The farmers lived in a strip of land between the high flood mark and the desert sand. Poorer farmers lived in mud brick houses which were not sturdy and would break down after a few years. The richer farmers could afford a sturdy stone house and farmed the best land.

What did the Egyptians Produce?

The farmers of ancient Egypt farmed many thing such as wheat, barley, vegetables, figs, melons, pomegranates, vines and flax.
Wheat was the main crop and was used to make breads. Barley was also made into a sort of bred or brew. Wheat and barley were used as a currency for the poor people. This enabled peasants to pay taxes and purchase goods.

Farmers kept animals such as goats, pigs, ducks, cows, ox and geese. Farm animals would eat surplus grain providing the family with milk, eggs and meat. An ox or cow could pull a plow and trample seeds into the ground.

Why were the Egyptians such good farmers?

The ancient Egyptian farmers relied on the flooding of the Nile to bring them fertile soil. They relied on the Nile for all of their water because rainfall was so scarce. They worked in time with the seasons and the cycle of the river and irrigated their crops.
Irrigation and the Shuduf

Farmers dug irrigation channels to water their crops. They developed ways of transporting water from the river to their fields. The farmers used a Shaduf to lift water to the irrigation channels which watered the crops.

This is how a farmer might use a shaduf.

1. Dip the basket into the channel and collect a basket full of water.
2. Use the weight on the other end of the pole to your advantage and lift the basket of water up to you.
3. Empty the water into your channels.

Farming the land through the seasons

The ancient Egyptians farmed the land following the seasons of the Nile.

• Akhet – June-September: The Flooding Season
• Proyet – October-February: The Growing Season
• Shomu – March-May: The Harvesting Season

The farmers year began in Akhet. The farmers prayed to the gods to let the Nile flood . The Nile flooded, no crops were grown and farmers usually went and worked for the pharaoh.
In the long Proyet season the flood waters receded leaving a layer of mineral rich soil. This soil was perfect for farmers to start growing their crops. Farmers ploughed their fields with an ox and a wooden plough while their wives scattered seeds behind them. Farmers dug water channels parallel to their crops and watered their crops using a Shaduf and irrigation channels.

In the third season Shomu, the farmers harvested their crops by hand. They used flint bladed sickles to cut the wheat. Once all the wheat was harvested the farmers threshed and winnowed the wheat. This was done by throwing the wheat into the air, letting the grain fall and the chaff fly off in the wind. Once all the grain was winnowed a scribe came to weigh and count it. The grain would then be stored in Granaries and the farmers were paid. They would then repair and open their channels ready for the next flood. Farmers would repeat this process every year.

The Egyptian farmers lived a simple life following the three seasons. The Egyptians harnessed the fertility of the Nile to become successful farmers. They produced plentiful food which allowed them to develop a sophisticated society.