Most ancient Egyptians were farmers. In a country that had almost no rainfall, Egyptian farmers depended on the Nile River. They built canals to bring water from the Nile River as far into their land as possible. They also prayed that the yearly floods would make their land fertile. The main crops were wheat and barley; some farmers produced dates, grapes and other fruits and vegetables.

Craftsmen had small shops and were very popular in Egypt. They made textiles, jewellery, bricks, pots and furniture. Building materials were limestone and sandstone that came from mines.

Travelling by boat on the Nile River was the main form of getting around. Early boats were made out of papyrus and moved by sticking poles into the water. Later on the Egyptians built sailing boats. On land people travelled with donkeys that could also carry food and other things.

Traders sailed to other neighbouring countries to get goods that they could not obtain in Egypt. They brought gold, ivory, skins, cattle and spices from Nubia, silver and wood from Syria and other areas of south-western Asia.



Ancient Egyptian boat
Image: Voluremuseum, CC BY-SA 4.0,
via Wikimedia Commons



Words

  • barley = a plant, like wheat, that is used for making food and alcohol
  • cattle = cows
  • craftsman = person who can do or make special things, mostly with his hands and other tools
  • crops = plants like wheat or rice that farmers grow and sell as food
  • date = a sweet, sticky brown fruit with a long, hard seed inside
  • depend on = need
  • donkey = small grey animal that looks like a horse, but is smaller and has long ears
  • fertile = good land or area of earth; so that you can plant crops there
  • flood = when water covers land
  • furniture = large objects in a house, like chairs, desks and tables
  • getting around = travelling
  • goods = products 
  • ivory = the hard yellow-white material of an elephant's tusks (teeth)
  • jewellery = small things that you wear to decorate your body, like a necklace, ring etc..
  • limestone = a type of rock that has calcium in it
  • Nubia = a kingdom to the south of Egypt
  • obtain = get, buy
  • papyrus = a plant that grows in the water and was used to make paper
  • pole = long stick made of wood or metal
  • pot = a container that is round and deep and used for cooking
  • pray = to say words to god
  • sandstone = soft, yellow rock that is often used to construct buildings
  • spices = a type of powder or seeds that you put into food to give it a certain taste
  • textiles = clothes
  • trader = a person who buys and sells things
  • wheat = a plant that you make white bread from