Ancient Egypt And Food

Pharoah fun at Egypt day

Pyramids and pharoahs were out in full force when schoolchildren took part in an Egyptian day.

Year Three pupils at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School ate Egyptian food and made Egyptian jewellery to mark the end of a topic on Ancient Egypt.

And they got into the spirit of ancient times by dressing up as pharoahs and learning to walk like an Egyptian.

A spokeswoman for the school said: “The children had a really good time. They dressed up as Egyptians and they made bracelets and cartouches and clay pots wth their names on.”

Year Three pupils Scott McLean, Callum Shirley and William Goodwin donned their brightly coloured home made head-dresses as they took part in the activity-filled day of fun and learning at the Chesterfield Road school on Tuesday, July 19.

The spokeswoman added: “The children also learned about all the different gods and goddesses.

“The children all had a great time and learned a lot and the Egyptian day was a big success.

The Nile River

The Nile is a river located in Africa. It is the longest river on earth at a length of 4,132 miles. The word "Nile" comes from the Greek word "Neilos" and an Egyptian word that means "great river" or "valley." The Ancient Egyptians called the river Ar or Aur which means "black," and was so named because of the black soil that resulted from the floods. It is also referred to as the River Nile sometimes. Most people think of the Nile River as being associated with Egypt. However, only 22% of the Nile's course runs through Egypt.

Throughout history, many famous people traveled along the waters of the Nile River. This includes Antony and Cleopatra, Nefertiti, Alexander the Great, Ramses II, King Tut and Caesar. There are many amazing sites along the way, including Aswan, Luxor, Esna, Kom Ombo and Edfu.

The river runs through the Egyptian deserts, creating a fertile green valley. The banks of the Nile are where the early Egyptians lived and farmed. They used the soil in to produce food for themselves and their livestock. In fact, ancient Egypt could not have existed without the resources they gained from the River Nile. Because of the desert and lack of rainfall, the river became a key component to their survival.

The Ethiopian highlands produced heavy summer rains every year between June and September. The Egyptians called this the "akhet" or inundation. This would send a torrent of water onto the banks of the Nile. The floods would leave rich thick mud, also called black silt, that was especially fertile soil for growing a harvest for the Egyptians. The floods were basically uncontrolled until the Aswan Dam was built in 1960. This was especially helpful when the huge flood came in 1970.

Reeds, also called papyrus, grew along the banks of the Nile. The English word "paper" comes from the word "papyrus." This was an Egyptian word that meant "that which belongs to the house," referring to the bureaucracy of ancient Egypt. The Egyptians used these reeds to make boats, mattresses, chairs, mats, baskets and sandals. The most important use, however, was for paper. As the Egyptians moved into the written word, they found papyrus to be a better medium than stone. Papyrus is light, thin, strong, durable and easy to carry. It may have been used as early as 4,000 BC and was a medium for Egyptian writing for thousands of years.

The river also provided a place for the Egyptians to get food.

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The Ancient Egyptians

Daily life of the ancient Egyptians

Food & feasts in ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt