Ancient egypt

Ancient Egypt

Tombs filled with treasures tell us of the ancient Egyptians. Their civilization flourished in the valley along the Nile River in North Africa, a region rich in sources and protectedfrom enemies by a vast desert. The valley seemed like heaven on earth to the Egyptians. In fact, life was so good that they hoped it would continue after death, in afterlife.

The ancient Egyptthrived for more than 3,000 years, from about 3300 bc to 30 bc. It was the longest-lived civilization of the ancient world. The Niles is Egypt’s lifeline. Without it, the land would be almost desert. Itis the longest river in the world, about 4,000 miles from its source to its outlet in the Mediterranean sea.

The Nile’s narrow banks are green with crops and palms. But then they turn into desertwith red stones and hot sands. People who lived 4,000 years ago called their fertile, dark soiled valley “Black Land”. And the desert was the “Red Land”. In the desert land Egyptians depended on theNile for water and for life.

Farmers depended on the annual flooding to water their crops, because some years there were “high Niles”, when the crops grew well and people had food to eat. Other yearswere “low Nile”, when people had few food. Farmers each year knew when the Nile would rise, and they planned ahead. The Egyptians measured time by the river, dividing the year into three seasons.The variety of plants that grew and were cultivated along the banks of the Nile could be used for many purposes, including food, clothing, and shelter. The river was also the source of fish and fowl,that are important parts of the ancient Egyptians' diet. The thick, black mud left behind by the flooding enriched the soil and made the farmland extremely productive, and it provided the means forgrowing a wide variety of grains, vegetables, and fruits. Also the Egyptians harvested papyrus, a long, thin reed, that grew at the riverbanks, to make baskets, boats, sandals, and a lightweight...