The Essential Nile :: History

Many features of civilization have evolved over time to effect what onecomm unaccompanied thinks of as "civilized society." The development of government and penning in the classical civilization of Egypt can be credited to the dependability of the Nile River. The Nile was a source of unification andcentralization in the Egyptian society, fate in the development of governmentand writing with the growth of surpluses.     The Nile River, because of its predictable cycles, "incorporated andcentered" the Egyptian society. Because of its predictability , the Nile"created a stable agriculture." All the Egyptians needed to do was to "putseeds in the mud, have pigs trample the seeds down into the ground, and when thetime came, produce the crop." Essentially, the river was important to the well-being of the cities, and was a vital source for irrigation. Not only did theriver provide a steady flow of water, its flooding also provided pote nt silt.Planted in this fertile soil, crops grew abundantly and allowed for thefacilitation and development of surpluses.     Beginning more or less 5000 B.C.E., farming had already been instituted alongthe banks of the Nile. But it wasnt until later (3200 B.C.E.) that real plain advances occurred. Encouraged by the stability of their farming,the Egyptians were able to develop surpluses in the area. This teemingness (whichallowed for the evolution and advancement of culture because it encouraged morepeople to condition in crafts other than farming) led to a division of labor,and then to accessible stratification. The improvement of agricultural methods alsoled to the enlargement of cities. This enlargement then led to the need forbureaucracy and administration, and eventually toward the advent of writing.