Over the course of its existence, Ancient Egypt grew to encompass not only the entire Nile Valley and Delta, but also nearly the entire north-east of the African continent, finally stopping only at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile River Valley was the definitive and central location of the Empire – oftentimes, it is referred to as the veritable heart of the Egyptian civilization. The Nile Valley was crucial because of its unique concentration of many valuable natural resources, including animals, fish, stone, gold, minerals, and fertile soil – all of which were absolutely necessary to the survival of the Egyptian people. In some ways, the Nile River Valley is comparable to the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia, for it was in the Nile Valley in which North-East Africa’s first stable living settlements and sustainable agricultural practices initially emerged.

Most major Ancient Egyptian structures—from pyramids and temples to courthouses and palaces—were built in close proximity to the Nile River. While at first glance, this structural clustering might seem arbitrary or random, this phenomenon was not at all accidental. The Ancient Egyptians wisely turned the Nile’s immense length and steady current to their advantage by using the River as their primary means of transporting building materials. Not only was this method much faster than any of the other contemporary options, but it also allowed for the relatively easy transport of especially heavy materials, including the limestone, granite, and sandstone used to construct pyramids, temples, and sculptures.

The archaeological site at Merimde Beni Salama is important because it provides evidence used to date the formation of agricultural settlements in ancient Egypt. The ruins at Merimde Beni Salama date to approximately 5,000 BCE. Merimde Beni Salama is the earliest known agricultural settlement in ancient Egypt, so it tells us that the ancient Egyptians began practicing agriculture at least as early as 5,000 BCE.

The Merimde culture is a Neolithic society that flourished in Lower (northern) Egypt approximately 5,000 BCE. The Merimde culture are one of the earliest groups of people in ancient Egypt who have left some archaeological record behind and thus are very important to informing our understanding of predynastic Egypt.

Many predynastic communities arose in ancient Egypt around the cult worship of one or more Egyptian deities. The association between a society and a particular deity was important for the construction of a communal identity. The city-state of Nekhen (also called Hierakonpolis) most likely developed around the cult worship of Horus.

Merimde Beni Salama is an archaeological site in Egypt. It is one of the earliest known agricultural settlements in Egypt. Pottery found at Merimde Beni Salama appears to be of Near Eastern origin and indicates that predynastic Egyptians traded with the Levant. Some Egyptologists and archaeologists disagree, however, and claim that the pottery is evidence that the inhabitants of Merimde Beni Salama emigrated from the Levant.

Many predynastic Egyptian societies developed around the cult worship of a particular deity. This communal worship helped promote a group mentality within these nascent cultures. The Naqada city-state was one of the most important societies that would eventually lead to a unified Upper Egyptian state. Most Egyptologists believe that the Naqada society developed around the cult worship of Seth.

According to archeologists, the earliest documented sample of papyrus paper dates all the way back to the First Dynasty, sometime during the Predynastic Period. As a writing medium, papyrus was infinitely preferable to stone, due to its strength, lightness, durability, and portability. Over time, Ancient Egyptian craftsmen fine-tuned their rigorous process of transforming the raw marsh weed into a suitable piece of writing paper. Papyrus’s inherent versatility allowed it to also be utilized in the formation of chairs, tables, boxes, ropes, and even boats. Astonishingly, several papyrus documents and scrolls have survived to this day – such as the famed Edwin Smith Medical Papyrus and the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus.

'Winnowed' is an agricultural term. It is part of the process by which grain is harvested. Ancient Egyptian farmers would first cut the grain ('threshing'). Then, the grain would be lifted into the air so that the chaff (unused part of the plant) could blow away in the wind. The leftover grain fell to the ground. This process, of separating the wheat from the chaff, is called 'winnowing.'

Prior to the Neolithic Revolution in Egypt, nutrition was obtained in one of three ways — hunting, gathering, and fishing. After the advent of agriculture, both fishing and gathering continued to be both profitable and common, however, hunting (as a means of providing sustenance) largely died out. Archaeological evidence suggests that hunting still retained a ritualistic purpose throughout much of ancient Egyptian history.