1. Flooding the Nile
Pgs

2. Flooding the Nile Each summer in Egypt the Nile overflowed its banks.
Melting snow in Central African mountains and heavy spring rains caused the water level to rise. Why?
Everything would be flooded except the tallest palm trees.
These floods could last up to 4 months.

3. Flooding the Nile
During this time the water soaked the land with silt. What is silt?
The silt became the life sustaining feature of the flood.
Without it, the crops would have never survived.

4. When the land dried from the flood, the farmers got to work.
Since the soil was soft plowing wasn’t needed.
They dropped the seeds on the soil and walked their animals back and forth pushing the seeds into the dirt with their hooves.
Farming Along the Nile

5. Once the planting was done the next challenge was to keep the crops watered. What happened in Mesopotamia?
To keep the crops farther away from the river, they dug irrigation canals.
Farming Along the Nile

6. Many farmers used a shadoof, (a long pole with a bucket on one end and a weight on the other.
They would dip the bucket into the water, and emptied it into their canals.
Farming Along the Nile

7. Some farmers used water wheels that raised water to the fields.
It became a father and son business.
Farming Along the Nile

8. The fertile land along the Nile is only about 10 miles wide.
As the river empties into the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile widens into a delta.
Farming Along the Nile

9. Farming Along the Nile
Early settlers found the Nile delta an ideal spot for farming.
The river supplied fish and birds.
People raised animals but usually only the wealthy had them for meat.
Large harvests allowed Egyptians to store for times of famine.

10. Farming Along the Nile
Because of careful planning Egyptians had more than enough to eat.
Other civilizations would travel to Egypt when they were in need of food.
God used Egypt as a temporary place of safety for Israel during a famine.

11. The Region Today pg. 52

12. Taxes and Time
Government officials kept detailed records of when the river flooded and how high the water rose.
They used a nilometer to measure the water levels, and that effected how much taxes the people owed.
More floods = more crops = more taxes.

13. Taxes and Time
Egyptians developed a calendar that predicted when the river would flood.
This calendar had 3 seasons.
Akhit – (Flood)
Perit – (Planting)
Shemu – (Harvest)

14. Taxes and Time The calendar was based on the phases of the moon.
There were four months in each season.
Each month had 3 weeks
Each week had 10 days.
This = 360 days, so the Egyptians were celebrate the 5 extra days as a thank you to the gods.

15. Taxes and Time The Egyptians used two types of 24 hour clocks.
Water Clock and Sundial.
Both of these clocks had their issues.
Egyptians used the stars to tell time at night.

16. What were some of the causes of the flooding of the Nile?
How long did the flooding of the Nile usually last?
Why was the delta an ideal place to grow crops?
What was the Egyptian calendar based on?
Discussion Questions

17. WB pgs