People of the River
Farmers in Mesopotamia never knew when the nearby rivers would overflow or if flooding would be bad. This
made it difficult to farm there. In Egypt, the Nile River also flooded, but its floods were regular. Farmers did not have
to worry that floods would destroy crops or farms. Water came to the Nile from rain and melted snow. Then, during
the summer, the Nile spilled over its banks. When the waters went down, they left a layer of dark, rich mud.
The Egyptians became successful farmers. They planted wheat, barley, and flax seeds. They grew enough food to
feed themselves and their animals. They used irrigation when the weather was dry. To trap floodwaters, Egyptian
farmers first dug basins, or bowl-shaped holes, in the earth. Then they dug canals to carry water from the basins
to the fields. They used a shadoof, a bucket on a long pole. It could lift water from the river into the basins.
How Egyptians Farmed
*Used rich soil brought by floods
*Planted wheat, barley, and flax in wet soil
*Irrigated during dry seasons
*Dug basins and canals to catch water
*used shadoof to move water
Egyptians also developed ways to use papyrus. This was a reed plant that grew along the shores of the Nile.
They harvested papyrus to make baskets, sandals, and river rafts. The Egyptians also used papyrus for
making writing paper. Like the Mesopotamians, Egyptians developed their own system of writing called
hieroglyphics. It was made up of thousands of picture and sound symbols. Some symbols stood for objects
and ideas. For example, to communicate the idea of a boat, a scribe would draw a tiny
boat. Other symbols stood for sounds, like the letters of our own alphabet.In ancient Egypt, few people could
read and write. Some Egyptian men went to special schools to study reading and writing. They learned to
become scribes, or record keepers for the rulers, priests, and traders. Some hieroglyphics
conveyed public messages. Scribes carved these into stone walls and monuments. For everyday use, scribes
invented a simpler script and wrote on papyrus.
Farmers in Mesopotamia never knew when the nearby rivers would overflow or if flooding would be bad. This
made it difficult to farm there. In Egypt, the Nile River also flooded, but its floods were regular. Farmers did not have
to worry that floods would destroy crops or farms. Water came to the Nile from rain and melted snow. Then, during
the summer, the Nile spilled over its banks. When the waters went down, they left a layer of dark, rich mud.
The Egyptians became successful farmers. They planted wheat, barley, and flax seeds. They grew enough food to
feed themselves and their animals. They used irrigation when the weather was dry. To trap floodwaters, Egyptian
farmers first dug basins, or bowl-shaped holes, in the earth. Then they dug canals to carry water from the basins
to the fields. They used a shadoof, a bucket on a long pole. It could lift water from the river into the basins.
How Egyptians Farmed
*Used rich soil brought by floods
*Planted wheat, barley, and flax in wet soil
*Irrigated during dry seasons
*Dug basins and canals to catch water
*used shadoof to move water
Egyptians also developed ways to use papyrus. This was a reed plant that grew along the shores of the Nile.
They harvested papyrus to make baskets, sandals, and river rafts. The Egyptians also used papyrus for
making writing paper. Like the Mesopotamians, Egyptians developed their own system of writing called
hieroglyphics. It was made up of thousands of picture and sound symbols. Some symbols stood for objects
and ideas. For example, to communicate the idea of a boat, a scribe would draw a tiny
boat. Other symbols stood for sounds, like the letters of our own alphabet.In ancient Egypt, few people could
read and write. Some Egyptian men went to special schools to study reading and writing. They learned to
become scribes, or record keepers for the rulers, priests, and traders. Some hieroglyphics
conveyed public messages. Scribes carved these into stone walls and monuments. For everyday use, scribes
invented a simpler script and wrote on papyrus.