The Nile River Shaped Ancient Egypt Research Paper

How the Nile River Shaped Ancient Egypt

Do you know the name of the mighty, 4,160-mile-long river that runs through eastern Africa? If you guessed the Nile, then yes, you are correct. But other than setting the record of being the longest natural river in the world, the Nile has been of great importance to the people of Ancient Egypt. In fact, without the Nile River, Ancient Egypt as we know it today would never have existed! Therefore, the Nile River shaped life in Ancient Egypt through economy, religion, and government.

One of the ways that the Nile shaped Egypt was through economy. According to document A, the Nile’s location was perfect for trade and interaction with other nearby ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia and the Indus

According to document C, some of the goods that were transported using the Nile consisted of religious artifacts such as statues with mysterious hieroglyphic symbols and many rocks that were used to build the great pyramids of Giza. So besides the Nile being a regular trade route, it became a religious trade route as well. However, a major part of the religion of the Egyptians was the belief in the afterlife. The afterlife was actually a paradise that is often referred to as the “Field of Reeds.” (Document D) In many tomb paintings, the picture of the Field of Reeds is illustrated with the Nile River making up the entire border of the painting. Consequently, the Nile was believed to be a part of heaven, which made it a very significant resource. Document E shows that the Egyptians even wrote hymns to the Nile, praising and honoring it for exultating their land and bring the people and children

Now, let’s reflect on all the ways of how the Nile shaped Egypt. There was a big variety of different ways, but if that is so, then wouldn’t everything be out of control? Wouldn’t there be no law? Of course not, Egypt is famous for its well-organized ancient government system! It typically consisted of a powerful pharaoh and a hierarchy of advisors, officials, and priests who were all responsible for dealing with the matters and issues of the Egyptian civilization. And guess what, the Nile assisted them as well. The government would organize the agriculture and cultivation of plants and crops that grew along the coast of the Nile. (Document D) Documents A and C give us clues that the pharaoh and his advisors would use the Nile for transportation in order to assist all those in need or to attend ceremonies. The Nile and the government went hand-in-hand, creating a dominant and successful