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Watch: Ancient Egyptian farming

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How did the three farming seasons work?

The ancient Egyptians based their farming around the annual flooding of the River Nile.

Three images of the types of Ancient Egyptian farming: Akhet, Peret and Shemu.

There were three seasons in the Egyptian calendar:

AkhetAlso called the鈥Season of the Inundation. Heavy summer rain in the highlands of Ethiopia each year would cause the Nile to flood as it flowed through Egypt. Farmland could be covered by up to two metres of water.
PeretAlso called the鈥Season of the Emergence. As the floodwaters went down, the land beside the Nile was left covered in thick dark mud which was very fertile. Farmers used this season to plant grain, barley and other fruits and vegetables.
ShemuAlso called the鈥Season of the Harvest. Egyptians harvested the food they had planted, collected seeds to plant the following year and stored grain in large silos.
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What techniques did farmers use?

An ancient Egyptian man using a Shaduf

To make the most of the annual rising and falling of the Nile, the Egyptians dug channels and walls to divert flood water away from cities and towards fields for farming. This was called鈥痓asin irrigation.

They also invented tools like the鈥shaduf. A shaduf is a long pole with a bucket attached to the end, which people could use to raise and move water from rivers or lakes onto land.

An ancient Egyptian man using a Shaduf
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Why was farming important?

A person looks at the Nile and takes notes.

Farming was the basis of the entire Ancient Egyptian civilisation. The flooding of the Nile and the fertile soil allowed them to build a wealthy empire. The ancient Egyptians were amongst the first groups of people to farm on a large scale, growing stable crops on a regular basis.

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Activities

Activity 1: The farming seasons

Can you name the farming seasons?

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Activity 2: Quiz 鈥 Ancient Egyptian farming

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Activity 3: History Explorer game

Play this game to test your knowledge and learn even more facts about Ancient Egypt.

History Explorer: Secrets through time

History Explorer: Secrets through time: KS2 History

History Explorer: Secrets through time
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Bitesize Primary games
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