Ancient EgyptAncient Egypt

Food and drink

FoodFood Bread “Bread “bread eaters”.bread eaters”.

Fish ducks, geese, desert hares, oryx (a type of large Fish ducks, geese, desert hares, oryx (a type of large antelope) near the nile.antelope) near the nile.

CutleryCutlery Meat, rich peopleMeat, rich people most sorts of fish except one species, which was most sorts of fish except one species, which was

sacred because it was associated with the god Osiris.sacred because it was associated with the god Osiris.

The Ancient Egyptians grew peas and beans, lentils, The Ancient Egyptians grew peas and beans, lentils, onions, garlic, radishes, turnips, peppers, leeks, onions, garlic, radishes, turnips, peppers, leeks, lettuces and cucumbers, and also many herbs such lettuces and cucumbers, and also many herbs such as aniseed, fennel, mustard, thyme, coriander, cumin as aniseed, fennel, mustard, thyme, coriander, cumin and dill.  and dill. 

How many seasons were there in Ancient Egypt?

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.

How did they harvest the corn?How did they harvest the corn? 11stst Reapers cut the ripe Reapers cut the ripe

corn with wooden sickles corn with wooden sickles edged with sharp flints.edged with sharp flints.

2 Women and children 2 Women and children followed behind the followed behind the reapers to collect any reapers to collect any fallen ears of corn.fallen ears of corn.

33rdrd Cattle were used to Cattle were used to trampled over the cut corn trampled over the cut corn to remove the grain from to remove the grain from the ears.the ears.

44thth Then the grain was Then the grain was tossed into the air so the tossed into the air so the breeze blew the light breeze blew the light useless chaff away. useless chaff away.

DrinkDrinkbeer and winebeer and wine

The rich drank wine and The rich drank wine and almost everybody else almost everybody else drank beer. When drank beer. When somebody have a somebody have a party, it was called a party, it was called a "House of Beer." To "House of Beer." To make their beer, the make their beer, the Ancient Egyptians Ancient Egyptians would half bake loaves would half bake loaves of barley, then of barley, then crumble it into barley crumble it into barley and water and water

How did they lift water from How did they lift water from canals on to the land?canals on to the land?

To lift the water from the canal they used a shaduf. A shaduf is a large pole balanced on a crossbeam, a rope and bucket on one end and a heavy counter weight at the other. By pulling the rope it lowered the bucket into the canal. The farmer then raised the bucket of water by pulling down on the weight. He then swung the pole around and emptied the bucket onto the field.

What did they call the What did they call the Egyptians who ate a lot Egyptians who ate a lot of bread?of bread?

Name three things they Name three things they eat.eat.

Name two things they Name two things they drank.drank.

Explain how they Explain how they harvest the corn.harvest the corn.

Explain how they lift the Explain how they lift the water from the canal.water from the canal.