![Picture](/uploads/1/8/6/8/18685084/822600978_orig.jpg)
Egyptian farmers divided their year into three seasons, based on the cycles of the Nile River:
Akhet - the inundation (June-September): The Flooding Season.
No farming was done at this time, as all the fields were flooded. Instead, many farmers worked for the pharaoh (king), building pyramids or temples. Some of the time was spent mending their tools and looking after animals.
Peret (October-February): The Growing Season.
In October the floodwaters receded, leaving behind a layer of rich, black soil. This fertile soil was then ploughed and seeded.
Shemu (March-May): The Harvesting Season.
The fully grown crops had to be cut down (harvested) and removed before the Nile flooded again. It was also the time to repair the canals ready for the next flood.
Akhet - the inundation (June-September): The Flooding Season.
No farming was done at this time, as all the fields were flooded. Instead, many farmers worked for the pharaoh (king), building pyramids or temples. Some of the time was spent mending their tools and looking after animals.
Peret (October-February): The Growing Season.
In October the floodwaters receded, leaving behind a layer of rich, black soil. This fertile soil was then ploughed and seeded.
Shemu (March-May): The Harvesting Season.
The fully grown crops had to be cut down (harvested) and removed before the Nile flooded again. It was also the time to repair the canals ready for the next flood.
The farming equipment
Copy the following questions (below) in your book and write in complete sentences:
- What do you see in the image above?
- What does this make you think about Ancient Egyptian farming?
- What does this make you wonder?
Research:
- What did the Ancient Egyptians use to plow the fields and harvest the crops?
- What live stock did the Ancient Egyptians keep?
- How did they lift water from canals on to the land?