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Ancient Egypt: Difference between revisions
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===Economy=== | ===Economy=== | ||
* bread basket: Egyptian wealth was derived from its tremendous and diverse agricultural production | * principal products | ||
* linen industry based upon flax, a fibrous plant | ** bread basket: Egyptian wealth was derived from its tremendous and diverse agricultural production | ||
* livestock, especially in Delta region | ** linen industry based upon flax, a fibrous plant, which also yields flax oil | ||
* mining of regional areas, especially the mountains to the East of the Nile | ** livestock, especially in Delta region | ||
* Egyptian trade reached across north, upper Nile, and East Africa | ** mining of regional areas, especially the mountains to the East of the Nile | ||
* | ** exotic animals, ebony and ivory from African interior | ||
* extent: Egyptian trade reached | |||
** across north, upper Nile, and East Africa | |||
** the Mediterranean Sea, especially Crete, Phoenicia, and Cyprus | |||
** Levant (Mediterranean coast of west Asia), Mesopotamia and and Indus India via Persian gulf trade routes | |||
** Red sea trade routes, including Arabia and the Horn of Africa | |||
* Egyptian shipping was not confined to the Nile, but for the most part, trade came to Egypt and not the other way around | * Egyptian shipping was not confined to the Nile, but for the most part, trade came to Egypt and not the other way around | ||
* characteristics | |||
** no coinage | |||
** trade was sanctioned by the state (control) and taxed | |||
** barter system based on weights and measures (no coinage), usually in gold, silver, copper, and gems | |||
** the deben was the primary unit of value | |||
*** equivalent to about 90 grams of copper | |||
*** James C. Thompson writes: | |||
:::<pre>Since seventy-five litters of wheat cost one deben and a pair of sandals also cost one deben, it made perfect sense to the Egyptians that a pair of sandals could be purchased with a bag of wheat as easily as with a chunk of copper. Even if the sandal maker had more than enough wheat, she would happily accept it in payment because it could easily be exchanged for something else. The most common items used to make purchases were wheat, barley, and cooking or lamp oil, but in theory almost anything would do.</pre> Source: [[https://www.ancient.eu/article/997/ancient-egyptian-agriculture/ Ancient Egyptian Agriculture (Ancient History Encyclopedia)]] | |||
* principal imports: | * principal imports: | ||
** cypress trees from Lebanon (Phoenician trade) | ** cypress trees from Lebanon (Phoenician trade) | ||
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* sources: | * sources: | ||
** [http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/economy/index.html The ancient Egyptian economy] | ** [http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/economy/index.html The ancient Egyptian economy] | ||
** [https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-africa/adulis-0012642 Ancient Egyptian Port Adulis]] | |||
** [[https://www.ancient.eu/article/997/ancient-egyptian-agriculture/ Ancient Egyptian Agriculture (Ancient History Encyclopedia)]] | |||
===Literature=== | ===Literature=== | ||