Why Did The Nile Shaped Ancient Egypt

“Egypt…is, so to speak, the gift of the Nile.” (Doc. E). The Nile River was a river that flowed for approximately 680 miles through ancient Egypt, and through other African countries. It was a crucial water source for ancient Egypt, and it was essential for the survival of the Egyptian people. Ancient Egypt was one of the dominating river valley civilizations in the ancient world, and it was located in northern Africa. It had deserts, bodies of water, mountains, and flat plains. In this context, shaping means developing and impacting. The Nile River shaped ancient Egypt in many ways. The geographical aspect and the resources the Nile provided; the transportation, and therefore trade; and the spiritual impact on the Egyptians that the Nile had all played roles in the shaping of ancient Egypt.

The map and map key on “Document A: Ancient Egypt,” reveals that it had two deserts in the east and in the west, the Mediterranean Sea in the north, and the first and second cataract in the south. Most, if not all, of the settlements and cities were located in or very close to the Fertile Nile Valley because of the Nile’s plentiful water sources and silt, fertile soil carried by the river which was perfect for farming. Three main seasons revolved around the river: Akhet, Peret, and Shemu. Akhet was the flood season, which was between mid-June and mid-October. During this time of year, farmers would work off their public-labor tax since all the floodplains were heavily flooded. Mid-October to mid-February was called Peret, or the planting and growing season. This is when the Nile was high enough to fill irrigation canals and farmers were able to plant and tend crops. Last was the harvest season, known as Shemu, which takes place mid-February to mid-June. Without the seasons the river provided, it would be impossible for the people to grow crops for them to eat and

When it says shape, it is inferring, how it affected ancient Egypt; did it help ancient Egypt thrive? The Nile River shaped ancient Egypt in many ways. It gave life to ancient Egypt for years to come. It made the land rich and fertile for farming and provided fresh water (Doc. D). Without water, there is no life.

Last but not least, how the population of ancient Egypt was distributed along the Nile. Many ask, how did the Nile change ancient Egypt? Flooding in ancient Egypt was a giant part of how they lived, flooding provided ancient Egypt with irrigation systems to grow crops. In document B (Akhet) was the season of flooding (inundation), it happened from mid-June to mid-October. During this season farmers worked off their public-labor tax, doing other things such as canal repair or quarrying.

In Ancient Egypt the people lived differently than us. Instead of showers they used lakes or rivers. Instead of buying food at a store they have to hunt for their food. They also grow their food. The main crops they use are barley and emmer wheat. They use those items for making bread bread and beer. They even had their own language.

worry. The Nile shaped ancient Egypt by giving it all the resources it needed and providing a great

The Nile flood cycle was broken up into three different seasons. The first was Akhet (flood season), which happened mid-June to mid-October. During this time, the Nile flooded and land was fertilized. Farmers had to find other means of work during this time, such as repairing canals, or working in the quarries. The second season was Peret (planting & growing season), which happened mid-October to mid-February. During this time the flooding stopped, and crops were planted and tended to. The final season was Shemu (harvest season), which happened mid-February to mid-June. During this time, crops in the Lower Nile were harvested and sent to the market. The lives of Ancient Egyptians depended on the success of the flood cycle. If one year, there was a “bad Nile,” the lives of Ancient Egyptians were put at risk. Too little water could cause the soil to be dry, which would cause a bad harvest. On the other hand, too much water can cause the soil to have excess water, which could affect the growth of the crops. The Nile River decided the fate of the Ancient Egyptians. Understanding the flood cycle was imperative to the success of Ancient

This all worked out for the Egyptians if the annual flood produced enough of water. However, if the annual flood did not produce enough of water they would call it a “bad Nile” and agriculture would be much more difficult for the

The Nile River was the life force of ancient Egypt. People from all over the region immigrated to the area for its irrigation waters and rich silt deposits. The geography of the region played a huge role in the way the inhabitants and civilization in general was formed. The main core of Egypt covered 386, 560 square miles, of which only 11, 720 were cultivable (Tignor et al., Worlds Together, 62). The Nile differed itself specifically from the Tigris and Euphrates in that its waters did not irrigate or fertilize nearly as well but it did create green belts along the water. This created a society that flourished along the river. The Nile unlike Mesopotamia did not have a bountiful borderland but did have a desert rich in materials. The Niles predictability as the source of life and abundance shaped the character of the people and their culture. (Tignor et al., Worlds Together, 63). The Nile was peaceful and calm unlike the vicious Tigris And Euphrates Rivers. Egypt with its natural borders, which included the Mediterranean Sea, Deserts, and Large Waterfalls, was very isolated. This helped to achieve

The Nile was the source of everything in Ancient Egypt. Early people built their lives around a river, eventually developing into Ancient Egypt. The Nile did not shape Ancient Egypt literally, but culturally. The Nile grew Egypt’s crops, created its traditions, making jobs, giving life to and protecting all.

Every year around September, The Nile River will flood so much that all the fields around The Nile are flooded with water. After a while, The Nile will settle and will be excellent for farming crops and food for families. Also, The Nile leaves rich soil where Egyptians can grow their crops faster and easier. Egyptians could stay in one place farming crops all day instead of traveling to different places to collect food. Their crops needed water so Egyptians invented combinations of canals. They dug canals underground so it would irrigate their crops. There were 3 seasons in Ancient Egypt called Akhet which is The Flooding Season, Peret which is The Growing Season and Shemu which is The Harvesting Season. When it was Akhet, no farming was done

Did you know the ancient Egypt was a one of the greatest civilization? The Nile River gave many gifts to the Ancient Egypt Civilization. The Nile River improved life in Ancient Egypt by various expectations that every human required in the ancient Egypt time period such as, water, floodwaters / fertile soil, and vegetation. Freshwater was the most important environmental factor for the ancient civilization. It provided fresh water for the use of bathing, washing materials, and drinking.

Agriculture is big in Egypt because of the Nile river. The egyptians grow grain, wheat, barley, vegetables, figs, melons,pomegranates and vines. The most important crop in Egypt is

The Nile River was important to the Egyptians that the first name of the country, Kemet, was a reference to the black silt that the annually deposited along its banks when it flooded. The river valley was important because it was a good spot for farming. For a long time, four million tons of nutrient rich soils were deposited on the farmlands forming the floodplain of the Nile River Valley. Another reason why this river was important was because it helped protect them. The river was very wide so whenever people wanted to invade egypt, they could see them coming and stand on their side and fight back. The last reason the Nile River was so important was because it helped them with food. Egyptian people could build boats to help them catch fish.

The Egyptians had a beautiful view of the world. The Nile River that runs through Egypt played a colossal feature to their respect of natural surroundings. In fact most if not all of their civilization was based around the Nile River, which provided great resources for water, transportation, food, and flawless soil for growing crops. Egyptians also believed in the idea of cycles and the Nile River played a large role in that. The Egyptian year was divided into the three seasons which were, Akhet (Flood Season), Peret (Planting Season), and Shemu (Harvest Season).