A Second Series of the Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians

CONTENTS

Attention paid to Agriculture. Resources and Army of

Egypt -

Egypt famed for Agriculture and Manufactures

Agricultural Representations. Origin of Geometry

Measuring Land to ascertain the Extent of the Possessions

of each Individual. Survey of the Country, and Deter-

mination of the Levels

Menes turned the Course of the Nile. Dykes, Sluices, and

mechanical Inventions connected with the Inundation.

Nilometers

The Introduction of the Water by Canals into the Fields.

Propitiation of the God of the River

Books of Hermes. Ages of Civilisation even before Menes.

Calculation of the Return of the Seasons

Division of the Year, originally into Lunar Months. Sub-

stitution of Solar for Lunar Months. The Five Days

The Twelve Months, and the Three Seasons

Intercalation. Sothic Period

Sothic Year.

Thoth the Name of the first Month. The

early Intercalation of the Five Days. The Quarter Day.

Doubts respecting its first Adoption

Flocks and Herds, Breed of Horses, Wool. Egypt united

the Advantages of an Agricultural and Manufacturing

Country. Export of Linen

Manufactures. Important Discoveries arising from their

Agricultural Pursuits

Their Style of Building. Excavations under Ground.

Temples not imitated from excavated Monuments

Abundance of Grain. Export. Many sold their Corn,

and lived on Doura Bread, - Esculent Roots

Three and Four Crops a Year. Profit to Government on

Exportation of Corn. Egyptian Land Measures. The

Aroura, Schoene, Cubit, Stade

Plethrum. Measurements of the Pyramid, by Herodotus

and others, uncertain

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The Cubit, supposed to vary at different Periods

The Cubit appears to have been always of the same Length 28

Cubit of the Nilometer at Elephantine. Wooden Cubit of

M. Jomard. Division of the Cubit

29

M. Jomard's Calculations. Cubit of the Nilometer of Ele-

phantine rudely divided

31

Royal Cubit. Double Cubit recently found at Thebes

The Aroura, how divided. Modern Feddán. The Stade of

uncertain Length

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32

Peasants sowed what Crops they chose

Rented Land from the Rich. Water of the Inundation

managed differently, according to Circumstances

Canals. Agricultural Scenes in the Sculptures

Subsiding of the Nile. The Nile rises now as high as for-

merly, varying in different Years

The Land sowed as soon as the Water had retired. Some-

times previously prepared by the Plough and Hoe, some-

times only dragged with Bushes, or the Seed trodden in

by Animals

Page

Simple Process of Tillage. Slight Furrows of the Plough.

The modern Khonfud, a sort of Harrow. Plough of

Parts of the Plough. Yoke. Driver

Two different Animals not yoked together

The Duties of the Ploughman arduous. Barrel placed in

the Field, probably holding Seed. Seed put into a

Basket. Scattered with the Right Hand

47

Cultivation of Land. Harrow and Rake unknown. Arti-

ficial Irrigation. Dressing of Nitrous Soil

49

Component Parts of the Alluvial Deposit

50

Nature of the Two Branches of the Nile. Other Kinds of

Dressing

51

The Edge of the Desert cultivated. Vestiges of ancient

Cultivation in the Fyoom

Quality of the Crops. Productions of the Winter Sea-

son

Carthamus tinctorius, an ancient Plant

Oil extracted from various Plants

Castor-berry Tree. Mode of extracting the Oil

Oil of Bitter Almonds. Length of Time to raise different
Crops. Plants of the Summer Season.-(Note.) Nature
of some Ointment at Alnwick Castle, and Analysis of a
Bronze Chisel found at Thebes

Great Use of Vegetables. Names of some Roman Families
derived from certain Pulse

Names of Plants known to be grown in Ancient Egypt
Indigenous Plants of Egypt. Desert Plants. Herbarium
of Egypt. Those mentioned by Pliny

659

Trees of Ancient Egypt from the Paintings, and the Fruit
or seeds of others discovered in the Tombs

Seeds and Fruits of India or Africa found there. Flowers

represented not very intelligibly. Little Attention to the

Growth of Plants and Trees in Modern Egypt

Page

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Wild Plants cultivated for medicinal Purposes. Their

Use still known to the Arabs

The Sont still grown for its Pods, which are used in tan-
ning. Groves occupying their ancient Sites

Bees. Hives require much attention in Egypt

Woods used by the Egyptians. Tools. Cabinet-work.

Woods, Ivory, and other Things brought by Foreign Tri-

The Tritura, or treading out the Grain by Cattle

Two Scribes to check the Accounts

91

92

Oxen unmuzzled while treading out the Grain, as with the

Jews. Jewish Threshing Instruments

The modern Noreg, or Corn Drag. Wheat bound in Sheaves,

not generally the Custom. Mostly carried in Rope Nets,

or Baskets. Modern Egyptians cut the Wheat close to

the Ground

-

93

Sometimes, though rarely, the Oxen driven round the Heap
of Corn placed in the Centre of the Threshing-floor. The
modern Noreg

-

The Tribulum. Horses fed on Straw. Cut up, as with the
Jews, for Provender

Stall-fed Cattle. Land prepared for a Second Crop. Artificial

Avoided Repetition of similar Crops. Wheat and Dooru

represented: the latter plucked up by the Roots

Stripped off the Grain by a Machine. Flax. The Return

of the Inundation anxiously looked for

Inundation. Its Commencement.

The Water then bad.

Colour of the God Nilus. Water entering the Canals.
Flocks and Herds rescued from the Inundation. Care
of the Dykes. Watched by Guards

Cavalry and Infantry to protect them. Management of the

Water to render a deficient Inundation available. Height

of the Rise. Villages overflowed

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