Tales of the Nile Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nomes

Although there is evidence to support the fact that the Sahara wasn't always a desert, by the time civilization began to develop in ancient Egypt it was, and people were living in small encampments along the Nile. As time when on, the tribes realized that life would become easier if they lived in larger groups, especially when it came to trying to contain the annual flooding of the great river; eventually the groups began to unite into small districts that were called nomes. Led by a nomarch, who was the chief priest as well as the political leader, the nomes eventually became loosely organized into the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Gift #1 - The annual inundation of the river made it necessary for the various groups to work together to contain the flood waters. This cooperation led to easier exchange and diffusion of ideas that led to the development of civilization in Egypt.

Answer: Geometry

Look at the word geometry, and you will see why it was originally developed. The word literally means "land measure". After the annual flood each year, it was necessary to relocate property lines. A particularly damaging flood could totally reshape the land or cause the disappearance of the stones that were used to mark boundaries. Before disputes arose between neighbors, the lines needed to be recalculated. Not only that, but the amount of land a person possessed was directly related to taxation, which could not be properly calculated without an accurate survey.

Gift #2 - The need to redraw property lines after the annual flood let to the use of geometry in many areas - not just surveying. Unfortunately the ancient Egyptians left behind few records that would show the extent of their knowledge. However, one only needs to look at a pyramid to ascertain that it was extensive!

Answer: Sirius

The ancient Egyptians believed the star Sirius was the most important star in the sky. Called the Nile Star, or Isis Star, it was not only the foundation of their religious beliefs, but also the foundation of their expertise in astronomy. Before its appearance during the time of the summer solstice, Sirius was hidden from view by the sun's glare for about seventy days. During this time the ancients believed the doorway to the afterlife was closed. The star, while symbolically important in their belief about the afterlife, became the central focus of their scientific study of astronomy. There is no doubt that astronomy became important in building, surveying, and agriculture.

Gift #3 - How important would it be to be able to keep track of when the next flood would occur? Or when it was time to plant and harvest crops? The observation of the star Sirius led to other innovations over time.

Answer: Shadoof

The annual flooding of the Nile was vitally important to the success of agriculture in ancient Egypt. Not only did the flooding aid in the rejuvenation of the land with the silt it left behind, it also provided extra water for irrigation if a person was clever enough to figure out how to use it! Using basin irrigation, the ancient Egyptians would construct earthen walls which would trap the flood water. When the flood receded, these reservoirs would dot the land; in order to move the flood water, a device called a shadoof was constructed. It was a simple balance beam with a bucket at one end, used to lift water from the basin to wherever it was needed. This enabled the ancient Egyptians to practice agriculture on a large scale, and develop a empire that was initially based on agricultural wealth.

Gift #4 - The flood water not only fertilized the land, it also provided badly needed water for irrigation. With a food supply virtually secured, the ancient Egyptians were able to focus on other concepts and ideas that led to more complex civilization.

Answer: Each year had 12 months.

The Nile Year was divided into twelve 30-day months. Each month was divided into three 10-day weeks. At the end of the year there was a five day festival to account for the "extra" days. After his defeat at the hands of Caesar at the Battle of Pharsalus, Pompey fled to Egypt. Caesar followed him there, only to find that Pompey had been brutally murdered. Shortly after Caesar met Cleopatra; he remained in Egypt for about a year, consolidating Roman control and establishing Cleopatra on the Egyptian throne. During that time Caesar consulted astronomers in Alexandria; after returning to Rome he introduced a new calendar, the Julian calendar, based on what he had learned. With a few more tweaks, this calendar eventually became the one that it used today.

Gift #5 - The need to keep track of time in order to predict the yearly flood led to the development of an accurate calendar.

Answer: Cataracts

There is no doubt that both the desert and the cataracts in the Nile made travel into and out of Egypt difficult. The Egyptians were left to themselves to develop a very unique culture with very little outside interference for several centuries. It would seem that travel down the river should be easy. However, there were six cataracts between the present day sites of Aswan in southern Egypt and Khartoum in Sudan, and these rapids formed a barrier that kept people out. From Aswan to the Mediterranean, where most of the ancient Egyptians lived, the Nile was unobstructed; this allowed for the exchange of goods and ideas among the ancient Egyptians without worry of outside interference from people who lived to the south.

Gift #6 - With the desert and the cataracts in the river, the ancient Egyptians had natural defenses against invaders. Being undisturbed for centuries allowed for the development of a unique culture, free from outside influence.

Answer: Byblos boats

The ancient Egyptians built and used three types of boats. First, simple reed rafts were used for hunting. Eventually the reed rafts were replaced with wooden boats called Byblos boats because they represented sea trade with one of Egypt's first sea trading partners - Byblos. They were safer, faster, and could be used for trade. Over time these boats became larger, able to transport huge blocks needed for building, as well as travel over the ocean. Lastly, a papyriform boat, made of wood, but built to look more like the traditional reed rafts, was constructed. This boat was used for both pleasure by pharaohs and nobles, as well as funerary and burials boats.

Gift #7 - The Nile River facilitated travel and communication in ancient Egypt.

Answer: Hippopotamus

Even today, the hippopotamus is considered to be one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. In ancient Egypt, the hippo was a source of concern while traveling or being on the river, as the animal could easily turn over a raft or even devour a whole person. Not only that, hippos would graze on precious crops and threaten animal herds. Although hunting hippos was necessary in some regions to thin the herds and as a food source, it was also considered to be great sport, as it took quite a bit of skill to bring down the huge creatures. Also connected with the divine in ancient Egypt, it was important for hunters to stay within the proper rules of protocol and respect to the gods.

Gift #8 - Filled with abundant wildlife, the Nile was a ready source of food for the ancient Egyptians.

Answer: Nubians

One of Africa's earliest kingdoms, the ancient Nubians lived along the Nile much as the ancient Egyptians did. By the time of the Middle Kingdom (2040-1570 BC), the ancient Egyptians had finally conquered the first cataract, which gave them access to the Kingdom of Kush, where the Nubians lived. The Nubians had a vast array of items such as gold, incense, ivory, and ebony, and were trustworthy trading partners. It must be said, however, that once the barrier was open for trade, it was also open for invasion. By the 700s BC, Nubians became pharaohs of Egypt's 25th Dynasty!

Gift #9 - The Nile facilitated trade with other people.

Answer: Papyrus

Used for a wide variety of items, such as rafts, sandals, medicine, rope, and even clothes, papyrus was an important plant to the ancient Egyptians. Perhaps best known for its use as to make paper, papyrus grew prolifically along the Nile. It was soaked, mashed, and put together to dry in sheets. Then several sheets were pressed together to make the paper thicker, and mashed with a hammer. Finally, weights were placed on top of the stack while it dried.

Gift #10 - With all its many uses, papyrus was an important resource in a land that was sometimes unyielding. The use of paper certainly contributed to the growth of communication, which led to the growth of literature and other arts.