Egyptian agriculture and food
Introduction
The Ancient
Egyptians where a civilization that lived in Egypt next to the Nile River, they
are an interesting civilization with their pharaohs and mummy’s, they also had an
interesting way of agriculture and lots of different foods.
Agriculture
In
ancient Egypt they lived around a dessert so for agriculture, they made little
dams so water passed around the plants it was very good. The site says that
most countries needed heavy
ploughing to get the
nutrients for the plants to grow under the soil but since in Egypt the Nile put
the nutrients on top of the soil so lots of ploughing was not needed. The plow
made by the Egyptians was lightly made and was tied to the horns of a cow. The
site also says that cows were generally used for ploughing so milk production
dropped during ploughing time and a helper normally a child would lead the cows
sometimes with a stick urging them on. If there where no cow’s humans could
also push the plow or they would try to borrow a cow and hoeing was also a way
to plow the soil. When harvesting season came how much crops they got depended
on how much surface the Nile covered in the flooding season the site says the
amount of grain made was aproximently 1.5 to 2.5 million tons supposing that
most of it was used to farm grain. In ancient Egypt they used animals like sheep,
goats, cattle, pigs and geese for things like milk, wool, meat, eggs, leather, skins, horn and fat.
The Egyptians herded lots of different
types of cattle like oxen which
where fattened to absurd
amounts and then covered in ostrich feathers to be killed and a smaller breed
of cattle which was hornless and resisted being fattened these cattle where
used in many different ways to help the Egyptians. In ancient Egypt cattle was
predominant like many civilizations close to it so the keeping of sheep and
goat was secondary but it provided western civilization with one of its best
symbols the good Shepard and his flock.
Donkeys
and oxen where used for the transportation of goods but sometimes man power was
preferred these animals where called beasts of burden. In Egypt they also bread
Mules Even though they cannot breed they combined their parents best qualities.
The site says Mules at that time were handled by muleteers. Some animals in ancient
Egypt where used as sacrifices like oxen and Oryx bulls. Egyptians also had pets like cats and dogs.
Food
In Ancient
Egypt the food they ate most was bread and beer supplemented by onions or other
vegetables and dried fish, but meat was not eaten often only in festive
occasions also it was
expensive to herd
domesticated animals for their meat only. People sometimes gathered berries for
their diet. In ancient Egypt common people ate bred that was adequate at its
best but the rich ate meat, waterfowls, vegetables, fruit and wine. They also
ate a bread called the ubiquitous bread and it seems that they did not
overindulge their food they were really fit. The kitchen was normally on the
corner of the houses and was open to air. Cooking was done in a clay oven and
also with open fires for fuel they used wood or charcoal even if it was scarce.
In Ancient Egypt the quantities of charcoal was small and was normally carried
in baskets or sacks. The reshafim site says that to light the fire a special
wood was imported from the north and it also said that it was very precious and
important temples only got sixty pieces a month. The site says that they used to
baked, boiled, stewed, fried, grilled, or roasted but
other than that little is known about their preparation. They certainly used
salt and oil and probably used onions, radishes and garlic to give their food
flavour. They drank beer and rarely wine and for sweaters they used honey and
syrup made from unfermented grape juice and other fruit like raisins, dates,
figs, carob and the like. The site also said that the root of the chuba a plant
that grew in the marshes was also very sweet.
Conclusion
The Achient
Egyptian agriculture was very good for the time. They had a certain time to
harvest and plant they used different things to help with farming and they had
lots of different foods and they even had a place to cook it. The Egyptians
where a civilization that lived a long time and there agriculture played a big
part in their survival and how they made their food also affected their
survival so the Egyptians where a great civilization
Sources
http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/food.htm "Food: Bread,
Beer, and All Good Things[6]." The
Food of the Ancient Egyptians. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/agriculture.htm"Agriculture and
Horticulture in Ancient Egypt." Agriculture
in Ancient Egypt. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/domesticated_animals.htm"Farmed and
Domesticated Animals." Ancient
Egypt: Farmed and Domesticated Animals. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
Glossary
Plow- an agricultural implement used for cutting,
lifting, turning over, and partly pulverizing soil.
Hoeing- to dig, scrape, weed, cultivate, etc., with a hoe.
Mules-the sterile offspring of a female horse and a male donkey, valued as awork animal, having strong muscles, a body shaped like a horse, anddonkeylike long ears, small feet, and sure-footedness.
Waterfowls- a water bird, especially a swimming
bird.
Overindulge- to indulge (in something, esp food or drink) immoderately
