Egypt+Eight

= __**An Overview**__ **By Teya and Sarah Ng** =

Ancient Egypt is a country located in Northeast Africa. It has a very hot and dry climate, and has the largest river in the world, the Nile. The people of Egypt depend on the Nile. The Nile makes Egypt possible to survive in. Ancient Egypt was in the world from 3100 BCE to 48 BCE. The people of Ancient Egypt were thought to be clever and mysterious, especially in the way they mummified and hid their dead. Their pyramids were a huge mystery due to the fact that they were built ages ago, but even now it would be near impossible to lift the huge stone blocks and build a pyramid to last that long. The people that lived in those times did what ever they could to survive, even if it meant living near a flooding river. It was the only thing they could do to survive in the harsh desert. = = = Geography and Climate =

The ancient Egyptians thought of Egypt being divided into two sections- the 'black section', and the 'red section'. The 'black land' was the fertile land, on the banks of the Nile. It was called the black land because the soil there was black, which meant it was full of nutrients. They used this land to grow crops. This was the only place in ancient Egypt where people could farm because the silt was rich, and black. The silt was washed up there (ancient egypt, every time the Nile flooded.) The 'red land' was the barren desert, that protected Egypt on two sides. This part of the desert was also called the Low Desert, and had little vegetation. The people used it for hunting and burial grounds. The deserts separated Egypt from the other near-by countries, and invading armies. They also 'gave' egypt precious metals, and semi-precious stones.

Egypt is also seperated by Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Ironically, Upper Egypt is to the south and Lower Egypt is to the north. This was because the Egyptians determined which way was up and which way was down by the flow of the River Nile- that was how important the river was to them. The two were later joined, and the person who ruled over both Upper and Lower Egypt wore a double crown, each representing the sovereignty of both the countries.

Without the Nile the people of Egypt would probably would not have been so successful. The area around the Nile was known as the floodplains. This was because every year the Nile flooded, watering all the crops around it. The water also made it possible for the Egyptians to farm by helping to make the dirt more fertile. However, floods are still very destructive and sometimes the Egyptians would lose whole villages. Other times saw the crops damaged by bugs or diseases.To the south of the Nile river were mountains, which along with the deserts helped keep the Egyptians seperated from other people thus makig their culture one that was all their own, and not tainted by some other culture. The Nile is a very important piece of geography. Without the Nile, there would be no Egypt today. The Nile is the supplier for water, for Egypt. It waters their crops, people have water to drink, and people can use it for a daily basis. They can wash their clothes in it, clean, and many other things. The Nile supplies food for the people of Egypt. It provides fish, ther people go hunting in the marshes for birds, and sometimes they would kill a hippo, or crocodile. The Egyptians need the Nile.

The ancient Egyptians lived in a very hot and dry place. This is because back then Egypt only had two seasons every year. The summers were scorching hot and very dry while the winters were not very cold. The summers were usually around 95 degrees fahrenheit and the winters around 45. The Egyptians living away from the Nile River were very dependent on the rain that came in the winter, because if the didnt have it they wouldn't be able to grow crops and would have to go hunting to get food for themselves.


 * How Egyptians Adapted to The Environment **

Since Egypt was so hot, the people learned to build houses out of mud bricks. They would get mud from the Nile River and mix it with water and some straw. Then they put it into a square mold and left it out in the sun to dry. When the mud had become as hard as rock they would take it out of the mold and start building with it. The medium sized houses were only one floor high, but were very sturdy. The only problem was that contact with water might soften them. When it rained, the houses didn't break down, but the walls might have gotten a little thinner. The windows were just basically a big square hole in the wall. When it was cold the Egyptians would use pieces of cloth to cover the windows to keep out the chill. But for the most part a bit of cool air was welcome and they left their windows uncovered. The rain would be an obstical for the Egyptians, because their houses were made out of clay. The rain would sometimes destroy their houses. Most of the Egyptian population would live alongside the Nile, or a river, because that is what they depended on to water their crops. The Egyptians built their houses with mud, water, and straw. This way, it would be strong enough to build a house, that would last, (depending on the rain). The finished product (a brick), would be rock hard, and very, very strong. Egyptians would build their houses close together, for strength, and also security. Another way they adapted to the environment was the way they used the Nile River. They knew from experience that it flooded around the same time every year so they built their villages near it in the hope the the flooding water would be enough to water their crops. Without the nile they would probably not have been so advanced and wealthy.

=**Modern Lessons**=

Farming was a main thing in Ancient Egypt. They used to get oxen to pull their carts through the field. They would plough the soil. Then, they would then plant the seeds. They could grow wheat, barley, onions, flax, and much more. They could relate to our modern day China. In China they use ploughs, and sometimes oxen. They would plough the fields, and then plant the seeds. The climate is also insanely hot. I think this is good for these reasons. First, if farming hadn't been discovered, then we wouldn't be alive. Also, it was smart of them to use oxen to pull the carts though the field. If Egyptians discovered this long before our modern day, that comes to a conclusion that they are using their environment(s) well, and smartly. Some people still use this technique of driving animals to farm, and that's the way everyone farmed until machines were invented.I think machines are way more efficient nowadays because it's faster, and it doesn't involve the feelings of an animal. I believe that the idea of making concrete came from the hardened dryed mud bricks that the people of Ancient Egypt made. If we look at cement carefully, it's just tiny bits of rock- rough sand- stuck together by a grey sort of mud. Although the cement today is harder than the mud bricks, it is mostly the same concept, and when concrete dries it hardens, just like the mud bricks. But we have improved the bricks by a lot, because now water won't wear down the cement, and it lasts longer and is more reliable. Unlike the people of Ancient Egypt, we in North America have to worry about erosion much more than they ever had to. Here it rains almost every second day, and this climate has influenced the way we make our houses. Our concrete is water proof, so the rain won't destroy our houses. I think this is a very good example because concrete and mud bricks both have the same effects. They keep out the heat and sun and are both hard to break and sturdy. However, concrete is easier to make and the result looks neater and is more stable.

Bibliography: [|Ancient Egypt] [|Ancient Egypt bbc.] [|Ancient Egyptian farming] [|Ancient Egypt History for Kids] [|Ancient Egypt- Junior Homework] [|Ancient Egypt Library ThinkQuest] [|Ancient Egypt- Mr. Donn] [|Ancient Egypt Wikipedia] [|Ancient Egypt- Wikipedia] [|External- Ancient Egypt] [|External- Ancient Egypt uk] Photos: [|Ancient Egypt Photo] [|Map of Ancient Egypt] [|Nile River Pictures] [|Oxen Picture] [|Pyramid Photo]