Editing Ancient Egypt (section)

===Agriculture===
{{Main|Ancient Egyptian agriculture}}
{{See also|Gardens of ancient Egypt}}
[[File:Rope stretching.jpg|thumb|right|Measuring and recording the harvest, from the tomb of [[TT69|Menna]] at [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]] (Eighteenth Dynasty)]]
[[File:Le_Jardin_de_Nébamoun.jpg|thumb|Rectangular fishpond with ducks and [[Lotus (plant)|lotus]] planted round with date palms and fruit trees, [[Tomb of Nebamun]], Thebes, 18th Dynasty]]

A combination of favorable geographical features contributed to the success of ancient Egyptian culture, the most important of which was the rich [[fertile soil]] resulting from annual inundations of the Nile River. The ancient Egyptians were thus able to produce an abundance of food, allowing the population to devote more time and resources to cultural, technological, and artistic pursuits. [[Land management]] was crucial in ancient Egypt because taxes were assessed based on the amount of land a person owned.{{sfnp|Manuelian|1998|p=361}}

Farming in Egypt was dependent on the cycle of the Nile River. The Egyptians recognized three seasons: ''[[Season of the Inundation|Akhet]]'' (flooding), ''[[Season of the Emergence|Peret]]'' (planting), and ''[[Season of the Harvest|Shemu]]'' (harvesting). The flooding season lasted from June to September, depositing on the river's banks a layer of mineral-rich silt ideal for growing crops. After the floodwaters had receded, the [[growing season]] lasted from October to February. Farmers plowed and planted seeds in the fields, which were irrigated with ditches and canals. Egypt received little rainfall, so farmers relied on the Nile to water their crops.{{sfnp|Nicholson|Shaw|2000|p=514}} From March to May, farmers used [[sickle]]s to harvest their crops, which were then [[Threshing|threshed]] with a [[Flail (tool)|flail]] to separate the straw from the grain. [[Winnowing]] removed the [[chaff]] from the grain, and the grain was then ground into flour, brewed to make beer, or stored for later use.{{sfnp|Nicholson|Shaw|2000|p=506}}

The ancient Egyptians cultivated [[emmer]] and [[barley]], and several other cereal grains, all of which were used to make the two main food staples of bread and beer.{{sfnp|Nicholson|Shaw|2000|p=510}} [[Flax]] plants, uprooted before they started flowering, were grown for the fibers of their stems. These fibers were split along their length and spun into thread, which was used to weave sheets of [[linen]] and to make clothing. [[Papyrus]] growing on the banks of the Nile River was used to make paper. Vegetables and fruits were grown in garden plots, close to habitations and on higher ground, and had to be watered by hand. Vegetables included leeks, garlic, melons, squashes, pulses, lettuce, and other crops, in addition to grapes that were made into wine.{{sfnp|Nicholson|Shaw|2000|pp=577, 630}}
[[File:Agricultural Scenes, Tomb of Nakht MET 15.5.19b detail 2 rgb.jpg|thumb|center|upright=3|A tomb relief depicts workers plowing the fields, harvesting the crops, and threshing the grain under the direction of an overseer, painting in the tomb of [[TT52|Nakht]].]]{{-|left}}

====Animals====
[[File:Maler der Grabkammer des Sennudem 001.jpg|thumb|left|[[Sennedjem]] plows his fields in [[Aaru]] with a pair of oxen, [[Deir el-Medina]].]]
The Egyptians believed that a balanced relationship between people and [[animal]]s was an essential element of the cosmic order; thus humans, animals and plants were believed to be members of a single whole.{{sfnp|Strouhal|1989|p=117}} Animals, both [[Domestication|domesticated]] and [[Wildlife|wild]], were therefore a critical source of spirituality, companionship, and sustenance to the ancient Egyptians. [[Ancient Egyptian cattle|Cattle]] were the most important livestock; the administration collected taxes on livestock in regular [[Cattle count|censuses]], and the size of a herd reflected the prestige and importance of the estate or temple that owned them. In addition to cattle, the ancient Egyptians kept sheep, goats, and pigs. [[Poultry]], such as ducks, geese, and pigeons, were captured in nets and bred on farms, where they were force-fed with dough to fatten them.{{sfnp|Manuelian|1998|p=381}} The Nile provided a plentiful source of [[fish]]. Bees were also domesticated from at least the Old Kingdom, and provided both honey and wax.{{sfnp|Nicholson|Shaw|2000|p=409}}

The ancient Egyptians used donkeys and [[oxen]] as [[Working animal|beasts of burden]], and they were responsible for plowing the fields and trampling seed into the soil. The slaughter of a fattened ox was also a central part of an offering ritual. Horses were introduced by the [[Hyksos]] in the [[Second Intermediate Period]]. Camels, although known from the New Kingdom, were not used as beasts of burden until the Late Period. There is also evidence to suggest that [[North African elephant|elephants]] were briefly used in the Late Period but largely abandoned due to lack of [[grazing]] land.{{sfnp|Manuelian|1998|p=381}} [[Cats in ancient Egypt|Cats]], dogs, and monkeys were common family pets, while more exotic pets imported from the heart of Africa, such as [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]n [[lion]]s,{{sfnp|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=83–95}} were reserved for royalty. [[Herodotus]] observed that the Egyptians were the only people to keep their animals with them in their houses.{{sfnp|Strouhal|1989|p=117}} During the Late Period, the worship of the gods in their animal form was extremely popular, such as the cat goddess [[Bastet (mythology)|Bastet]] and the ibis god [[Thoth]], and these animals were kept in large numbers for the purpose of ritual sacrifice.{{sfnp|Oakes|Gahlin|2003|p=229}}