Agriculture

Normally, in the ancient civilisations people built farms near any type of water (this could be rivers, lakes, streams, etc.). This allowed them to be able to use the water to water plants and have for animals. If it was not possible to have a farm next to a river for example, canals would be dug out to allow the water to also run to farms further away from water.

=Egypt=


 * What did the Egyptians plant and harvest? **

From around the Nile soft mud, dirt and soil was collected or used for farming. In this they could harvest barley and emmer, which would later be stored in a granary (a sort of house used to store wheat and similar things until they are made into bread or beer). The soft earth also made it possible to plant vegetables and fruits, though no citrus fruit:
 * onions
 * garlic
 * leeks
 * beans
 * lentils [[image:banquetegypt.jpg align="right" caption="At an Egyptian banquet"]]
 * lettuce
 * gourds
 * dates
 * figs
 * cucumbers
 * melons
 * grapes

I find it amazing that the Egyptians could make cakes, because I thought that they came way later than the Egyptian time. Though it is true, they made cakes, and used sweet fruits, like dates, and honey to give the cakes a sweet taste. I think that they often ate fruits as it is, though I have the feeling that they maybe made salad of their fruits and vegetables as well.


 * Did the Egyptians have livestock? **

Like the Babylonians, the Egyptians also kept animals. The richer people would often get (for the Egyptians) supposedly better food. People of higher class would get meat and poultry, while citizens ate more fish. As well as this, they kept animals, and they were:
 * ducks
 * geese
 * oxen
 * oryx
 * gazelle
 * sheep
 * goat
 * pigs [[image:bastet.jpg width="98" height="198" align="right" caption="Bastet, the Goddess of the ripening of crops"]]

Many of these were then roasted, and eaten as dinner. I still think that they kept animals as house pets.


 * Fast Goddess Facts ||
 * Did you know that there was a God of the ripening of crops? This Goddesses name is Bastet, daughter of the sun-god Rah. She had the head of a cat and the body of a beautiful lady. ||


 * The use of the Nile River**

This video is about different things the Nile allowed Egypt to do. Below is a short explanation of what the video mentions and some of my ideas.

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The shadoof was a tool used to bring water from one level to the other. A stick with a bucket on the end was what it looked like. To use it you would scoop up some water in the bucket while holding onto the stick, and then you would bring it up and pour it into a half pipe, which probably would lead to a place to store the water. With the shadoof, people could easily move the water they collected onto fields and into a town. The Nile was also a good use for transportation. Ships from other civilisations would sail to Egypt with goods that could not be gotten in Egypt, for example skins from tropical animals that lived in southern Africa. Reeds that grew on the banks of the Nile were used to make small boats, like river boats (see transport), just smaller.

Papyrus that grew was used to make paper. It was made be flattening the papyrus reeds, weaving them and pressing them together.

Mud from around the river and when the river flooded was used to build pyramids and other statues or buildings. It is thought that slaves built the pyramids, though now scientists think that it might have been the farmers who built it when their fields were underwater. I think this is probably true, though the slaves probably had to help build it nevertheless.

=Babylon=


 * What did the Babylonians harvest and what did they make of it?**

In Babylon it was farmers who harvested and planted crops of different types. From the river farmers and other citizens had to make canals so water could flow from the river to the crops. Some of the plants that were harvested were: They made bread and beer out of their harvest. They made oil out of sesame. Some fruits they also planted were: dates (which was one of their most important foods), figs, pomegranates and apples. Out of palm wood they built small constructions, and I think that they might have done that to be able to have for example pomegranate trees growing up the wood.
 * wheat
 * barley
 * lentils
 * chickpeas
 * flax
 * sesame
 * basil
 * oats
 * millet
 * grass pea


 * Did the Babylonians have livestock?**

Not only were crops planted, but farmers and citizens also kept animals as pets. Dogs is one example, thought they also took care of breeding cats. Donkeys and mule were used to carry around food, bags, etc. Bulls were a symbol of power, so king would call themselves a bull because bulls are strong and mighty animals. Babylonians raised goats, pigs, sheep, cows, geese, ducks, chickens and pigeons.

I think that sometimes the Babylonians would kill animals to get food. I believe they may have traded meat with other farmers to get wheat, or fruit, because they don’t harvest those kinds of things. I find it good that they don’t just eat meat, but also other things, like bread and fruit. I don’t think that the farmers would eat their dogs, they probably used them as guards to keep the other animals safe.

= Conclusion =

In my opinion, these two civilisations are pretty much the same. The Egyptian had more fruit, the Babylonians had more types of wheat. I think that ancient Egypt stored their wheat better, even though I haven't found out if Babylon also used a granary. Egyptians had more food, all in all, and I think that the Egyptians also ate more. I would say that Egypt was better at meeting the needs of the people under 'agriculture', though I still think there isn't much of a difference. Egypt always had enough food and water, and they could just go and catch fish whenever they liked.

VENN-DIAGRAM COMING