Ancient Egypt The Nile River

The Egyptians believed the earth looked like a pancake. In the center flowed the Nile River. They thought that around the Great Circle was the ocean. Egyptians also believed the sky was flat like the earth and that it was held up with four poles so that the air could flow between the earth and the sky. The Nile River begins in the mountains of Africa and flows north to the Mediterranean Sea. It flows through thousands of miles of desert.  After thousands of miles, the river has many waterfalls and rapids called cataracts. At the delta the Nile calms down. It branches into many small streams before flowing into the Mediterranean.

Every summer the Nile flooded the river valley. After three months the water would recede leaving behind a thin, rich layer of silt. Hapi was the god of floods. He was always dressed as a boater or fisherman. Hapi carried a platter of wheat, barley, dates, and flax.

The Nile was the fastest way to travel through Ancient Egypt. Traveling on the Nile River was an easy task for the Egyptians. The currents flowed north. Boats could let the currents carry them to their northern destination. When the boat wanted to return south, the winds carried them southward. When the winds were not blowing, the Egyptians used paddles or long poles to move them forward.

Most of the boats were made from giant papyrus reeds tied together. The royal family and the priest had wooden boats made from cedar wood. The large wooden boats owned by the royal family were more than 100 feet long. Cargo boats carried granite, cattle, and food to people along the river. These were pulled by teams of men with many sets of oars. When the wind died down, the men had to tow the boats along the river with long ropes from the banks.

Traders used the Nile for transportation. Early trade between 6000 and 4000 BCE included pottery and artifacts.

By 4000 BCE, a trade route crossing through the Wadi Hammamat was established running east and west across Egypt from the Nile to the Red Sea. At this time donkeys, camels, and horses were domesticated and used for transportation. The trade route and pack animals allowed travelers to go between Thebes and Elim.

By the end of the 4th millennium BCE, Egyptians traded with the people from Badakhshan (modern-day Afghanistan) to receive the gemstone lapis lazuli. As early as 3000 BCE, Egypt had a colony in Canaan that produced pottery for the Egyptians.

Egyptians used wood to build the hull of their ships. They lashed planks of wood together and stuffed the gaps with reeds. Egyptians used quality lumber from Byblos. This allowed Egyptians to travel greater distances.

Another trade route, the Darb el-Arbain, was established between Nubia and Egypt in the middle of the 2nd millennium.  Even though Egyptian had their own gold, they traded with Nubia for more gold. Egyptians exported papyrus, linen, grain, and even artifacts that had been looted from pharaohs’ tombs. Nubia was a trade corridor though between Egypt and tropical Africa. Egyptians received ivory and ebony wood from Africa through this trade route. Pharaoh Sahure imported cedar from Lebanon and myrrh, malachite, and electrum from the Land of Punt. Egypt also traded with Anatolia [Turkey] for tin and copper in order to make bronze.