In Ancient Egypt, women ground wheat into flour, the flour was then pounded by men to make a fine grain, and in some cases sesame seeds, honey, fruit, butter, and herbs were often added to the dough to help flavor the bread. However, it is a bit more complicated than that.
In the cultivation of grain, there were eight steps that the ancient farmer knew as well as he knew his own land. The cultivated land was ploughed with a wooden axe. Plowing may have been done with the aid of an animal, or exclusively by human strength. Sowing was done by hand, with the help of goats that walked over the newly sown fields to push the seeds out of the reach of birds looking for a quick meal. Once the grain was ready for harvesting, the fields would come to life with the harvesting process. Harvesting was done with sickles. The grain was bundled and carried on the back of donkeys to a safe and dry place to avoid spoilage. The grain was then put through the process known as threshing. It was spread in a contained area and trampled on by the hooves of donkeys. In the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, cows were often used in this process. This trampling process aided in the separation of the grain from the chaff. The next step was often depicted in the tomb paintings of ancient Egyptians. Often done by women, wooden forks were used to eliminate the light chaff and straw from the grain. Next, they would use sieves made from reeds and palm leaves to separate the longer chaff and weeds from the grain. The final step was to secure the crop of grain in bins until consumption. The ancient Egyptians were thorough in their cultivation of grain, the excess was used as export to neighboring nations. This proved to be a consistent economic push especially during times of Egyptian unrest; bread was still exported for profit.
Beer was a very popular beverage, made from bread, the staple food in the Egyptian diet. If there was a constant supply of bread, one could guess that there was a constant supply of beer. Along with the bread flakes the beer was made with barley. The barley was left to dry, and then baked into loaves of bread. The baked barley loaves were then broken into pieces and mixed with dried grain in a large jug of water and left to ferment. Wine was a drink that was produced by the Egyptians; however, it was usually found only at the tables of the wealthy. Considering the vast majority of Egyptians were not wealthy, a vast majority of Egyptians drank beer.
The bread also held a religious importance. While exploring Mentuhotep II's mortuary temple, archaeologist found a loaf of bread that was over 4000 years old. It was placed with other objects under the foundation of Mentuhotep II's temple in Western Thebes. The temple itself was believed to be a microcosm of the universe, and sitting in one of the four corners a piece of Ancient Egyptian bread. This symbolizes the important value of the dietary staple.
Contrary to popular belief, slaves did not build the pyramids. Rather, huge armies of paid workers built the ancient tombs that still stand today. These workers were paid in bread. Being the main staple of the Egyptian diet, “ bread and grain were the means of payment for the workers who built the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, so bread was really as good as gold in ancient Egypt.”
Bread was also seen as a luxury item. For the peasant and common man, a mixture of flour and water was enough to get them through the day. For the Pharaoh and high priest, bread reflected their noble stature by adding honey, fruit and berries, and even sesame seeds.
In the cultivation of grain, there were eight steps that the ancient farmer knew as well as he knew his own land. The cultivated land was ploughed with a wooden axe. Plowing may have been done with the aid of an animal, or exclusively by human strength. Sowing was done by hand, with the help of goats that walked over the newly sown fields to push the seeds out of the reach of birds looking for a quick meal. Once the grain was ready for harvesting, the fields would come to life with the harvesting process. Harvesting was done with sickles. The grain was bundled and carried on the back of donkeys to a safe and dry place to avoid spoilage. The grain was then put through the process known as threshing. It was spread in a contained area and trampled on by the hooves of donkeys. In the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, cows were often used in this process. This trampling process aided in the separation of the grain from the chaff. The next step was often depicted in the tomb paintings of ancient Egyptians. Often done by women, wooden forks were used to eliminate the light chaff and straw from the grain. Next, they would use sieves made from reeds and palm leaves to separate the longer chaff and weeds from the grain. The final step was to secure the crop of grain in bins until consumption. The ancient Egyptians were thorough in their cultivation of grain, the excess was used as export to neighboring nations. This proved to be a consistent economic push especially during times of Egyptian unrest; bread was still exported for profit.
Beer was a very popular beverage, made from bread, the staple food in the Egyptian diet. If there was a constant supply of bread, one could guess that there was a constant supply of beer. Along with the bread flakes the beer was made with barley. The barley was left to dry, and then baked into loaves of bread. The baked barley loaves were then broken into pieces and mixed with dried grain in a large jug of water and left to ferment. Wine was a drink that was produced by the Egyptians; however, it was usually found only at the tables of the wealthy. Considering the vast majority of Egyptians were not wealthy, a vast majority of Egyptians drank beer.
The bread also held a religious importance. While exploring Mentuhotep II's mortuary temple, archaeologist found a loaf of bread that was over 4000 years old. It was placed with other objects under the foundation of Mentuhotep II's temple in Western Thebes. The temple itself was believed to be a microcosm of the universe, and sitting in one of the four corners a piece of Ancient Egyptian bread. This symbolizes the important value of the dietary staple.
Contrary to popular belief, slaves did not build the pyramids. Rather, huge armies of paid workers built the ancient tombs that still stand today. These workers were paid in bread. Being the main staple of the Egyptian diet, “ bread and grain were the means of payment for the workers who built the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, so bread was really as good as gold in ancient Egypt.”
Bread was also seen as a luxury item. For the peasant and common man, a mixture of flour and water was enough to get them through the day. For the Pharaoh and high priest, bread reflected their noble stature by adding honey, fruit and berries, and even sesame seeds.
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