Download The Nile River - White Plains Public Schools

Name: _________________________________________
Social Studies: DBQ Class Sample - The Nile River
Date: ____________ Period: _____
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The Nile River’s Impact on the Ancient Egyptian Civilization
Throughout history, humans have interacted with their environments to meet their needs and to
satisfy their wants. Water has always played an important role in a civilization’s ability to develop and
thrive. People settled in the Nile River Valley to take advantage of the resources the water and land
provided. The Nile River was an integral part in the development and growth of the ancient Egyptian
civilization, and it was the foundation for Egyptian innovations and religion. Ancient Egyptians interacted
with the Nile River through their gods and in addition to using the river as a means for travel and trade,
the Egyptians used its gifts, or resources for farming, inventions and religious ceremonies.
The Nile River was the key factor in the growth and development of the ancient Egyptian
civilization. The Egyptians relied on the Nile River for many resources and used it as a means for travel
and trade. (Doc. #2) The Egyptians used the papyrus that grew along the river to make paper, which
scribes used to record daily activities. This helped to develop their civilization because they could use
hieroglyphics to keep written records and document important economic, government or social events for
the officials and pharaoh. The most important resources the Nile River provided the ancient Egyptians
were water and silt. Annual floods provided rich silt for which the Egyptians used to cultivate their
crops. They learned that they could plant barley seeds in the same spot every year, and it would grow
again if there was enough water. (Doc 3) Having a surplus of food led to specialization in ancient Egypt.
The division of labor was critical to the development of the ancient Egyptian civilization because it
provided the Egyptians with time to master their crafts and then trade. Egyptians used sailboats to
travel up and down the Nile River to barter for goods and share ideas. (Doc. #2) The local trade routes
and longer expeditions that Egyptians often went on created interdependence between themselves and
neighboring communities. The development and growth of the ancient Egyptian civilization was the
direct result of the Nile River; its most precious resource.
The Nile River was a source of innovation and religion for the ancient Egyptian civilization. The
Egyptians used the Nile River to irrigate their fields to help them grow the surplus of food needed for
them to specialize, develop and grow. This process would not have been possible without the shadoof, an
Egyptian innovation. The shadoof was invented to help the Egyptian farmers get water from irrigation
canals to their fields. (Doc. #1) As a result, the farmers were able to provide everyone with food and
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still had enough for bartering. The Egyptians used other inventions to help them manage and use the
Nile’s gifts. They created a calendar which helped them predict the floods, and the Egyptians invented
the nilometer to measure and keep track of the flood waters. (Doc. #1) Being able to predict floods
helped the Egyptians prepare for and manage the annual surge of water. The nilometer was a stepped
system that the Egyptians developed in order to record the flood waters’ depth. This invention provided
the Egyptians with critical information which helped them decide how and when to use the surplus or
scarce amounts of water. Ancient Egyptians were innovators in math, science, medicine and
architecture. It was their belief, however, that their gods were directly responsible for everything
they had and did. The Egyptians invented the shadoof, but they believed that their god-king Osiris
taught them how to lead the waters to the barley. (Doc. #3) The Egyptians believed that Osiris was
the one who had given them the fields and the knowledge of planting seeds. (Doc. #3) Finally, the
ancient Egyptians strongly believed in life after death or the afterlife. (Doc. #4) The Nile River played
an important role in the transportation of mummified Egyptian pharaohs or kings. Since they were
buried on the west side of the Nile River, a funeral barge was used to transport Egyptian royalty to
their tombs. (Doc. #4) Ancient Egyptians used the Nile River as a source for their religion and
inventions which helped them to develop, grow and thrive as a civilization.
Ancient Egyptians depended on the Nile River greatly, and their interaction with the river was
evident in all aspects of their lives. The Nile River was directly responsible for the growth and
development of ancient Egypt. Without the river, the Egyptians would not have been able to farm and
provide a constant food supply. The surplus of food made it possible for the Egyptians to make
advancements in math, science and technology, and it provided them with the time and resources to
barter. This helped them to develop and grow as a civilization. The Nile River was also directly
connected to the Egyptians’ innovations and religion. The shadoof, nilometer and calendar are great
examples of inventions the Egyptians developed to maximize their use of the Nile River which helped in
their development. Finally, the ancient Egyptians believed that everything they had, including the Nile
River, was connected to their gods. Therefore, the Nile River played an important role in religious
ceremonies in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians’ interaction with the Nile River helped them to meet
their needs and satisfy their wants, and it was directly responsible for their growth and development as
a civilization.