flooding of the nile was critical to egyptian agriculture because of silt.
flooding of the nile was critical to egyptian agriculture because of silt.
flooding of the nile was critical to egyptian agriculture because of?
silt
ancient egyptian agriculture









































the civilization of ancient egypt was indebted to the nile river and its dependable seasonal flooding. the river's predictability and the fertile soil allowed the egyptians to build an empire on the basis of great agricultural wealth. egyptians are credited as being one of the first groups of people to practice agriculture on a large scale. this was possible because of the ingenuity of the egyptians as they developed basin irrigation. their farming practices allowed them to grow staple food crops, especially grains such as wheat and barley, and industrial crops, such as flax and papyrus.
ancient egyptian agriculture
the egyptians took advantage of the natural cyclical flooding pattern of the nile. because this flooding happened fairly predictably, the egyptians were able to develop their agricultural practices around it. the water levels of the river would rise in august and september, leaving the floodplain and delta submerged by 1.5 meters of water at the peak of flooding. this yearly flooding of the river is known as inundation. as the floodwaters receded in october, farmers were left with well watered and fertile soil in which to plant their crops. the soil left behind by the flooding is known as silt and was brought from ethiopian highlands by the nile. planting took place in october once the flooding was over, and crops were left to grow with minimal care until they ripened between the months of march and may. while the flooding of the nile was much more predictable and calm than other rivers, such as the tigris and euphrates, it was not always perfect. high floodwaters were destructive and could destroy canals that were made for irrigation. lack of flooding created a potentially greater issue because it left egyptians suffering from famine.
ancient egyptian agriculture