Summary of Ancient Egyptian Farming Seasons and the Nile

## Introduction Ancient Egyptian farming relied on the Nile River and its yearly cycle. The river flooded fertile land, allowing people to grow crops despite Egypt’s hot, dry climate. This study material explains the farming seasons, what farmers did in each season, and how to make a simple calendar wheel to show the agricultural year. > **Definition:** Ancient Egyptian farming — the set of practices, seasons and tools used by farmers in ancient Egypt that depended on the annual flooding and recession of the Nile. ## The Nile and its importance - The Nile provided water and rich silt that made the land fertile. Without the Nile, large-scale farming in ancient Egypt would not have been possible. - Herodotus called Egypt “the gift of the Nile” because the river made agriculture and civilization possible. Fun fact: The ancient Egyptians timed many religious festivals and public works to fit around the farming seasons determined by the Nile’s floods. ## The three farming seasons Ancient Egyptian agriculture was organised into three main seasons. Each season lasted roughly four months and matched parts of the modern calendar. ### 1. Akhet (Flooding) - When: roughly July, August, September, October (blue) - What happened: The Nile flooded surrounding fields, depositing nutrient-rich silt. Farmers could not work the fields while they were underwater. - What farmers did instead: Labour on large building projects such as temples and pyramids. > **Definition:** Akhet — the inundation or flooding season when the Nile overflowed its banks and covered fields. ### 2. Peret (Planting / Growing) - When: roughly November, December, January, February (green) - What happened: As floodwaters receded, fields reappeared and were ready for planting. - Tasks: Repair field walls and channels, plough the soil, clear drainage, and sow crops such as barley, cucumbers, lentils, beans, onions and dates. > **Definition:** Peret — the growing season when the land re-emerged from the flood and crops were planted. ### 3. Shemu (Harvest) - When: roughly March, April, May, June (red) - What happened: Fields dried and hardened under the hot sun; crops matured and were harvested before the next flood. - Tools & methods: Farmers used shadufs (hand-operated water-lifting devices) to move water, and sometimes trained animals like baboons for picking fruit. > **Definition:** Shemu — the harvest season when crops were gathered and stored before the next inundation. ## Practical classroom activity: Make a farming calendar wheel This simple craft helps visualise when each season and month falls during the ancient Egyptian agricultural year. Materials needed: - Three circles cut from paper (small, middle, large) - Scissors, split pin, coloured pencils - Information about the three seasons (Akhet, Peret, Shemu) Steps: 1. Cut out the three circles. 2. On the smallest circle, divide into 12 parts and label months clockwise: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. 3. Colour months by season: Blue for July–October (Akhet), Green for November–February (Peret), Red for March–June (Shemu). 4. On the middle circle, divide the outer ring into three parts. In each part, write a short description of Akhet, Peret and Shemu respectively. 5. Colour those three parts: Akhet—blue, Peret—green, Shemu—red. 6. On the largest circle, split into three and write the season names in the outer sections; colour the names to match the season colours and draw pictures showing activities for each season (e.g., flooded fields for Akhet, ploughing for Peret, harvesting for Shemu). 7. Stack the circles small on top, largest on bottom, and secure with a split pin through the centre. 8. Rotate the circles to line up months with the season descriptions and images to reveal the farming year. Practical example: If the smallest circle shows March aligned with a red Shemu section, a child can see that March belonged to the harvest season a