How did ancient Egyptians farm their land? - BBC Bitesize

Why was the River Nile so important?

Cartoon image of a farmer in Ancient Egypt drawing up water. — Image caption,
Lots of Ancient Egyptians lived in settlements next to the River Nile because it was an important water source and the soil was fertile.

Most people in Ancient Egypt were farmers who grew crops like wheat and barley along the River Nile.

The River Nile was important because it provided water for crops in a country that had very little rainfall.

Each year, the river flooded and left behind rich, fertile soil (soil that is good for growing plants and crops), which made it perfect for growing food.

Without the River Nile, Ancient Egyptian farmers would not have been able to grow enough crops to feed the population.

Important words

Important words on how the Ancient Egyptians farmed their land.

Keyword	Definition
Basins	Flat areas of land surrounded by small walls to hold water.
Fertile soil	Soil that is good for growing plants and crops.
Harvest	The time when farmers collect the crops they have grown.
Irrigation	Bringing water to crops to help them grow.
Shaduf	A tool the Ancient Egyptians invented to move water from rivers and lakes onto land.

Watch: Ancient Egyptian farming

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Life in Ancient Egypt

A photo of a relief of Ancient Egyptians farming from the necropolis of Shaykh Abd El-Qurna. — Image caption,
An artwork of people farming corn, from the walls of a tomb in the Valley of the Nobles.

Most people in Ancient Egypt were farmers.

They worked along the River Nile to grow crops like wheat and barley.

Because Egypt had very little rainfall, farmers relied on the River Nile to water their crops.

Lots of Ancient Egyptians lived in settlements next to the River Nile, because the river was an important water source, providing freshwater for drinking, cooking and washing.

It was also important for transport and trade.

What were the three seasons in the farming calendar?

An illustration of the three farming seasons in Ancient Egypt, Ahmet, Peret and Shemu.

There were three seasons in the Egyptian calendar:

Akhet: The flooding season	Heavy summer rain in the Ethiopian highlands caused the Nile to flood in Egypt. Fields were completely under water.
Peret: The planting season	After the floods went down, the land was covered with rich, fertile mud, perfect for planting crops. Farmers used this season to plant grain, barley and other fruits and vegetables.
Shemu: The harvest season	This was the harvest (the time when farmers collect the crops they have grown), when farmers collected their crops picked the food and saved seeds to plant for the next year.

How did the ancient Egyptians farm?

A photo of a farm next to the River Nile. — Image caption,
Farmers in modern day Egypt still use irrigation channels from the River Nile to water their crops and soil.

Farming was the basis for the entire Ancient Egyptian civilisation.

Egyptian farmers dug channels to guide water from the River Nile towards their fields.

Farmers dug large, flat fields divided by small walls called basins (flat areas of land surrounded by small walls to hold water).

When the River Nile flooded, water flowed into the basins and filled them with water.

This was called basin irrigation (bringing water to crops to help them grow) and it allowed them to control the amount of water from the River Nile better.

A 19th century illustration of a shaduf in Ancient Egypt. — Image caption,
An 1800's illustration of how a shaduf may have worked in Ancient Egypt.

They also invented tools like the shaduf, a tool used to move water from rivers and lakes onto land.

This was a bucket at the end of a long pole, used to lift water from the River Nile onto the land.

Farming meant the Ancient Egyptian civilisation became very rich and could feed it's people and animals.

The Ancient Egyptians were amongst the first civilisations to farm on a large scale and many other civilisations learnt from them.

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