Geography of Ancient Egypt

1. Geography of Ancient Egypt Miss Lynch 6th Grade Social Studies Chapter 4 Lesson 1 in World Book

2. The Big Picture • People began farming villages in the Nile river valley in Africa. • The land near the river was so lush and green because of the flooding. • Left deposits of silt rich land

3. The Gift of the Nile • The Nile is referred to as “The Gift” since it flooded and created land for farming. • The Nile is the world’s longest river. • It flows from East Africa and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. • The rainy season lasts from May until September and causes the Nile to flood. • The silt, which is a mixture of tiny bits of soil and rock is carried and deposited by the river.

4. The Gift of the Nile • Near the Mediterranean, the river branches off forming a delta, a fan-shaped area of land which is very fertile because of the silt left behind. • The Nile Delta region is located in the North of Egypt. • The delta seems to be higher; however, this area is called Lower Egypt. • Upper Egypt is located in the South. • Here the river cuts through cliffs and desert sands.

5. A Land of Drought and Flood • Egyptian farmers always welcomed mud/floods because it contained silt which was rich in minerals needed by plants. • The black soil contrasted sharply with the dry, yellow sand of Egypt’s desert. In many places a farmer could stand with one foot on farmland and the other on sand. • Farmers depended on the right amount of flooding each year. • Too little flooding meant farmers’ crops didn’t grow and too much flooding caused cattle and homes to be destroyed.

6. …A Land of Drought and Flood • In October the land began to dry and farmers planted: • Wheat, barley, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, beans, and flax. • The farmers used irrigation to water their crops. • At first farmers built dirtwalls around their farmland to hold the Nile floodwaters. • Later, they dug canals to bring water from the Nile directly to their farmland. • They scooped water from the canals and poured it into their fields.

7. …A Land of Drought and Flood • By March the crops were ready for harvesting. • In good years, families that had a surplus gathered their goods and carried them off to storehouses. • The harvest time ended in late June because the Nile began to flood. • During the 4- month flood farmers would visit neighboring villages. • The Nile was the main way that people and goods moved from place to place • The 600 mile journey between Upper and Lower Egypt would take over a month to walk. • In a reed boat it only took half that time.

8. Why it matters? • Early farming communities of ancient Egypt centered around the Nile River. • The Nile River provided: • Fertile soil • Water for irrigation • Means of transportation

9. Main Ideas • The Nile is the world’s longest river. • More than 4,000 miles long • Farmers’ understanding of the yearly Nile floods made community life in Egypt possible. • Mineral-rich silt deposits and irrigation technology made farming in ancient Egypt very productive. • People used boats to get from place to place along the Nile.

10. Video http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=480341