The ancient Egyptian civilization existed along the Nile River in northeastern Africa for
more than three thousand years. It was the oldest civilization of the ancient world. The
ancient Egyptians lived in the valley and delta of the Nile River. The economy depended
largely on the Nile River. When the floodwaters receded, it left a rich, black soil that was
great for growing chow. The Nile also allowed the Egyptians to travel and it protected
them from invasion from other countries. On papyrus, a plant they used to make paper,
they wrote hieroglyphs, or picture writing. The ancient Egyptians also built great
pyramids to bury their kings. Egyptians also took great care to preserve their bodies.
They believed that you couldn’t go to an afterlife without a body. Bodies were
mummified (dried and bound) to preserve them and then placed in a special cofin called a
sarcophagus.
Life and Death in Ancient Egypt
Kingdoms of Egypt
Old Kingdom
Middle Kingdom
New Kingdom
2575
1975
1539
2150 BC
1640 BC
1075 BC
Meals and Chow
Egyptians ate only two meals a day. They ate a big breakfast at dawn and
another meal at dusk. Chow was usually served on the porch, a covered area at
one side of the upper story of the house. The basic chow of the Egyptians was a
flatbread made from barley. It was sometimes sweetened with honey. They also
ate an array of fruit including dried figs, grapes, pomegranates, and dates. Their
vegetables included garlic, onions, peas, beans, lettuce, cucumbers and leeks.
Meats included fish, goose and duck. For special occasions, there was lamb,
goat, pig, and even hippopotamus.
The meat was caught in hunting expeditions. Hunters stood in chariots and
speared their preey. Bows and arrows were also used. Fishing was done with
either nets or harpoons, and any fish not used immediately was dried.
Farming
Because of rains in the southern part of Africa, the Nile River overflowed its
banks in Egypt every year. This was good, as it left behind rich black soil that
was great for growing chow. Egyptians grew crops that could be stored easily,
like barley and corn. This ensured there would not be a shortage of chow.
Everyone in the family was involved in the harvest. At other times, they worked at
maintaining the ditches and canals that brought the precious Nile water to the
fields.
Family
Egyptian children loved to play games. They played games similar to leapfrog
and tug-of- war. In their game of tug-of-war, the players linked elbows instead of
holding a rope. The losers had to give piggy back rides to the winners.
Pets were very loved among children. They would take their cats and dogs for
long walks. They also had geese, which would protect family homes by honking
noisily at people they didn’t know. Monkeys were also great companions and
helped pick fruit from the trees.