What Did The Egyptians Grow Along The River Nile? - Ancient Egyptian Agriculture

The Ancient Egyptians grew lots of food in the fertile soil next to the River Nile, such as fruits, vegetables and wheat for their main food and drink; bread and beer. But the crops in farms along the river banks were used for much more than just food. This agriculture provided the Ancient Egyptian people with loads of items they needed for their everyday lives such as clothing, medicine, home essentials, paper and even light!

Ancient Egyptian agriculture - What did the Egyptians grow along the river Nile?

Linen wrappings used for mummification - Credit Metropolitan Museum of Art Gift of Egypt Exploration Fund, 1907

Clothes

The fertile soil along the banks of the Nile was perfect for growing a crop called flax. The ancient Egyptians would soak the flax stalks, dry them out in the hot sun then beat the stalks to separate it into fine fibres for weaving into a fabric called linen. Linen was an important material to the ancient Egyptians. It was ideal for making into lightweight clothing for use in the hot weather but was also used for wrapping bodies during mummification. Making the linen was a very long process, so rich nobles received the finer, softer threads that took longer to make.

Papyrus plants growing along the Nile

Paper

The ancient Egyptians would have grown lots of papyrus along the banks of the Nile. The most well known use of Papyrus was to create paper for writing on. In fact, Papyrus paper worked so well, it was even used by the Ancient Greeks and the Ancient Romans. But Papyrus also had other useful functions. It could be used to make cloth, which worked particularly well as a sail for boats. It was also used to create rope, mats, baskets and even sandals.

An ancient Egyptian oil lamp - Credit Metropolitan Museum of Art Rogers Fund and Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1922

Lamp Oil

The ancient Egyptians would have burnt oil in lamps for light when it was dark. The oil in these lamps was made from plants like castor, sesame or linseed that would have grown along the Nile specifically for this purpose.

A herbal mint plant like those that grew along the banks of the Nile

Medicinal Herbs

The ancient Egyptians had many skilled healers and often used herbal remedies to to heal their patients. Amongst the plentiful healing greenery grown along the River Nile, the Egyptians used plants like myrrh for various aches, mint and garlic for digestion, frankincense for sore throats, onions for common colds, mustard for vomiting and honey as a natural antibiotic. Many remedies used by the ancient Egyptians are still used in a similar way in the modern day, such as aloe vera for skin conditions, inflammation and burns.