egyptian agriculture
TRANSCRIPT
Irrigation
• Inundation (flood) run-off provided most water
• 2/3 of land drained naturally by inundation
• Other channels used Shaduf
Harvest
• 20 000 – 34 000 acres of cultivated land
• Harvest usually before inundation (May-June)
• Everyone (except rich/servants) harvested – havesting ‘teams’ travelled between rich estates
• 1.5-2.5 million tons of wheat each harvest
Crops
• Emmer, wheat, barley (for bread & beer), ‘pekha’ (unknown grain), flax (rope and cloth)
• Papyrus (paper, boats, ropes, mats)
• Kiki/castor oil
Seasonal Crops
Summer Autumn Winter Spring
•Figs,
•plums,
•watermelon,
•lettuce, •Colocynth (apple/cucumber),
•leeks,
•melons,
•tiger nuts,
•cucumber,
•fenugreek
•Melons,
•tiger nuts,
•fenugreek,
•dates,
•pomegranates,
•grapes,
•cumin,
•ziziphus,
•carob
•Carob,
•lettuce,
•garlic,
•celery,
•radishes,
•lentils,
•cumin,
•coriander,
•peas
•Garlic,
•celery,
•radishes,
•lentils,
•cumin,
•peas,
•fava beans,
•onions,
•chick peas
Animal Husbandry
• Cattle – well suited to Khmet– Horned oxen, hornless
oxen, long horned oxen (wild)
• Sheep – black and ‘light’• Goats – eaten widely by
all classes– Skin used as water
containers and floats
• Horses – for the rich only – and never used for carrying goods or ploughing– Initially used for chariots– War chariot and hunting steed
• Beasts of Burden– Donkey– Oxen for ploughing
• Fish – from rivers, ponds and water features