Holly Godfrey
The Importance of Canals and Irrigation Systems
Ancient Egyptians are praised and gloried in history for a lot of different reasons, a few examples being their pharaohs, their architecture, their writings, and their artifacts, but one thing that is not often brought up is their advanced agricultural systems. It is not very well known that the Ancient Egyptians were rather advanced and efficient in their methods of agriculture and that for some time the economy was even based on crop yields as payment for work done on the pyramids. There are many different aspect that made Egyptian agriculture very efficient and gross high yields but the most important and advanced configurations used was the irrigation and canal systems. The canals and irrigation systems used played a crucial part in the high yields the Egyptians crops were producing and without them the canals the Ancient Egyptians would not have been able to harvest as much resources. The canals also made more land available for farming which normally would not have been able to sustain crops without the irrigation and canal systems to bring water flow in to the otherwise dry lands. Egyptian Agriculture would not have been successful without the irrigations and canal system put in place.
The canal and irrigation systems were technologically advanced for ancient Egyptian time. “Canals siphoned off some of the waters that normally would have flowed into Lake Moeris, resulting in a gradual evaporation of waters around the edges of lake, the canals extending the amount of new land, would have been unique for its time”(Shaw, 152.) Not many other cultures were manipulating their water system like the Egyptians, the manipulation and understanding of their waterways is what made them more advanced and able to have an economy based on agriculture during this time. There canal and irrigation gave them the ability to able to manipulate their rivers which then lead to the capability of more water being controlled and used across more lands, and more lands being used for agriculture resulted in more crops and more food for the Egyptian culture to survive off of.
Since the water was being disbursed and controlled by the Egyptians they were able to produce more crops and cultivate more land for crops. “Artificial irrigation along Egyptian Nile served to enhance the inherent qualities of the flood basins in the interest of greater water control” (Bard, 381.) If the Egyptians would not have installed the irrigation and canal systems they would not have been able to grow as many crops due to the lack of water. These irrigation systems defined some of the Kings rules and that is one way to know the importance in which they brought. Ruler Khakheperra Sensuret II reign was during a time peace and prosperity and his biggest achievement is building an irrigation scheme. This irrigation scheme would have been something that no other ruler in his time for before him would have done and set him apart from all the rest of the ruler and because of this you see monuments made for him (Shaw 152-3). The importance of the canals and irrigation is very important in Egyptian history.
Without the use of canals and irrigation the Egyptians would not have been able have as much land for agriculture or have been able to yield the amount of crops in which they did. They would not have been able to base their economy on agriculture either. Canals and irrigation were a very crucial part to Egyptian society and agriculture as a whole and also made the Egyptians an advanced society.
Work Cited
Bard, Kathryn A. Encyclopedia of the archaeology of Ancient Egypt (381). New York: Routledge, 1999. Print.
Butzer, Karl W., Leslie G. Freeman. Early Hydraulic Civilization in Egypt: A Study in Cultural Ecology. Chicago: The University of Chicago, 1976. Print.
Shaw, Ian. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print
Ancient Egyptian Trade Economy
Ancient Egyptians were notorious for having luxurious and exotic possessions. These exquisite and luxurious items of jewelry, art, pottery did not all originate in Ancient Egypt, they came from all around. Trading for not only luxurious, but also practical day to day goods, was a huge and extremely crucial part of the Ancient Egyptian economy. Trade was an immensely important way of life in Egypt, without trade pyramids would not have begun being built, materials to make luxurious items would not have been available, and day to day life would have been extremely difficult to carry out. The trade economy greatly aided in building Ancient Egypt.
It is commonly known that slaves were used to build the pyramids in Ancient Egypt, but that was not the case at first. “The Egyptian economy was not based on slave labour” (Shaw 92). When pyramids started to arise during the Old Kingdom (2686-2160 BC) the people employed to build them were traded beer and bread for their work. Trading beer and bread for work became the base of the economy during the Old kingdom. With building becoming more frequent the need trade as compensation for work became more vital and the economy began to flourish. “The building of the pyramid complex became a major industry of Old Kingdom Egypt, employing dozens of officials and thousands of craftsmen”(Manley 28). With large scale projects occurring more commonly during the Old Kingdom and thousands of builders needed to work on them, more people were trading their labor for beer and bread, which tremendously simulated the economy. “The enormous volume of construction work carried out during the two centuries when the kings of Manetho’s 3rd and 4th Dynasties held sway had a profound effect on the country’s economy and society”(Shaw 92). As the economy increased so did the amount free time people had to work on and create the stunning art and jewelry the Ancient Egyptians are notorious for having.
Some of the most stunning and breathing taking jewelry comes from Ancient Egypt, but not all the materials used are were from Ancient Egypt. The materials such as turquoise, silver, copper, and gold came from all around Ancient Egypt and were traded to the Ancient Egyptians. “There were nevertheless many much-prized material that were not obtainable within the Nile Valley” (Shaw 313). One of the most prized materials used from jewelry was traded all the way from Badakhshan, Iraq. “Badakhshan lay at the centre of a wide commercial network through which lapis lazuli was exported over vast distances to the early civilization of western Asian and north-east Africa, no doubt passing through the hands of many middle men en route” (Shaw 313-14). There has also been pottery found in urban sites that suggests the trade network Ancient Egyptians had date much early than what was originally believed. The goods that the Ancient Egyptians were accumulating through trade made it possible to create all of the beautiful elaborate jewelry that was worn during the time. This long distance trade was an immense part of the Ancient Egyptian economy.
Long distance trade also played an important part in the everyday life of the Ancient Egyptians. Wood was very scarce in Ancient Egypt and in order to have enough to build and for other used the Egyptians traded in order to have wood available. “While such fine woods as cedar, juniper, and ebony, as well as products such as incense and myrrh, had to be imported from western Asia and tropical Africa” (Shaw 313). Wood became an important trade item due to Ancient Egyptians over cutting their own trees and compromising their sustainability. Wood was used for many different things like looms for example “The weaving is to be done on two ground looms with the beams fastened to pegs in the floor; these looms are made of solid wood” (Lucas & Harris 141). Weaving fabric dates back to the beginning of Ancient Egyptian society and without being able to trade for the wood needed to build the looms weaving fabric as well as building many different things would have been very difficult to do.
Trade was absolutely crucial to Ancient Egyptian economy as well as to the society. Without being able to trade the pyramids would not have been built, the beautiful jewelry that was made would not have had the materials necessary to create it, and everyday life for the Ancient Egyptians would have been extremely difficult. Trade made Ancient Egypt’s economy thrive and built the civilization in which they had.
Works Cited
Lucas, A., & Harris, J.R. (2012). Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries. Mineola, New York: Courier Dover Publications.
Manley, Bill. (1996). The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt. New York, NY: Penguin Group.
Shaw, Ian. (2000). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press Inc..
Ancient Egyptian Justice and Law
Ancient Egypt has commonly been viewed as a society that was ruled by the all-saying Pharaoh with all of his subjects following blindly and obeying or they would be sorry. However, that was not how Ancient Egypt was actually ran. Ancient Egypt had a very advance society with rights for the people and laws to govern the land. In Ancient Egypt you can find a judicial system similar to ones you see in modern day countries like America. The Ancient Egyptians had written laws, police to enforce laws and protect the people, and courts with officials to hold trials.
Under the law in Ancient Egypt the society was pretty much egalitarian. Other than slaves, all the people were considered equal and held accountable to follow the laws that governed the land of Egypt. “It is believed that Egyptian law was based on a common sense view of right and wrong, following the Ma’at. This concept allowed for everyone, with the exception of slaves, to be viewed as equals before the law, regardless of wealth and social position”(Van Blerk, 2006). The laws in ancient Egypt were not just a concept that everyone knew about, they were laws that the Pharaoh would decide and haven written down. There have been records found of laws written down on papyrus and stone to document the rules the people of the land were expected to follow. “The Great Edict, which he (King Horemheb) published on a stele in the temple of Karnak, enumerates a large number of legal measures enacted in order to stamp out abuses such as the unlawful requisitioning of boats and slaves, the theft of cattle hides, the illegal taxation of private farmlands and fraud in assessing lawful taxes” (Shaw, 2000). The Pharaoh was not an almighty dictator but was in charge of protection his people from outsider as well as harmful insiders. That is not what most people think when the pharaoh comes to mind; it is commonly thought he exploited his people not protected them.
The pharaoh was very concerned about the protection of Egypt that he employed police officers to protect the citizens and enforce the laws. The jobs of the police officers of ancient Egypt are similar to the police officers of today’s world. “Mahu was chief of police at Akhetaten under Akhenaten. He decorated his tomb with scenes from his working life such as escorting robbers to court and looking for fugitives, and in the tomb of Merya police units are depicted preceding the royal cavalcade, some of the tasks policemen still fulfill today”(Unknown, 2009). The police in ancient Egypt were also known as the Medjay and sometimes were employed from Nubia. “The employment of the Nubians, especially as border police units and mercenaries in military expeditions, dates from this period (the 6th dynasty) onwards” (Shaw, 2000). The police has many other jobs than just patrolling the borders, they also collected taxes and made the arrests if people did not follow the laws. Another job the police has was to bring the offender to court for trial.
The people of ancient Egypt were allowed trials to decide guilt in Ancient Egypt. People were not just considered guilty right after arrest but were given trials in courts. The courts in ancient Egypt were made up of official appointed by the pharaoh and held the power to issue verdict for criminal trials. “The King was the highest legal authority in Ancient Egypt. The right to make legal decisions was however often delegated to a lower authority by the King” (Van Blerk, 2006). The courts system was considered to be a very important part of running society in Ancient Egypt since they enforced justice and order through their verdicts. They were not known to be overly harsh and did not just sentence people to death easily. “Human beings, even criminals, were ultimately considered to be under the thankful eye of the divine and were not to be killed on a whim” (Van Blerk, 2006). The judicial system in Ancient Egypt can be considered somewhat of framework of some modern day judicial systems.
Society in Ancient Egypt was not controlled by Pharaohs that gave no rights to their people and enslaved everyone, but was actually ran by smooth running judicial system. The judicial system has similarities you can find in with laws to govern the people, police to enforce those laws, and a court system to hold trials to decide innocence and guilt.
Works Cited
Shaw, Ian. (2006). The Oxford History Of Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press Inc.
Unknown. (2009). The Police in Ancient Egypt. Retrieved from http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/law_and_order/police.htm
Van Blerk, Nicolaas J.. (2006). The Concept of Law and Justice in Ancient Egypt,With Specific Reference to The Tale of The Eloquent Peasant.
Retrieved from http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/2447/dissertation.pdf?sequence=1
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