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What was the Ancient Egyptian economy like?

Jeana Santarelli

Well, well, well. You've come to the right place if you're itching to learn about the economy of Ancient Egypt! Believe it or not, the Ancient Egyptians had a bustling economy that existed for over 3,000 years (yes, you read that right).

So, let's dive in, shall we?

For starters, agriculture was the backbone of Egyptian economy. The Nile River, that flows through Egypt, provided not only fresh drinking water, but was also used for irrigation (fancy word for watering crops) and transportation. The Ancient Egyptians were sooo clever, they even invented a system of canals to transport water to the fields. These fields grew crops such as wheat, barley, flax and papyrus. The Ancient Egyptians even used crops to pay their workers instead of money sometimes. Imagine getting paid in wheat? Now that's something, isn't it?

With the invention of writing, the Ancient Egyptians were able to keep track of their wealth (and debts) as well. They started using a form of currency called the deben, which was basically a measure of weight. While the beroy was used to measure precious metals, the shat was the smallest unit of currency. Imagine going to the supermarket and asking for a shat's worth of gum! *giggles*

Now, hold on to your hats because it's about to get exciting! The Ancient Egyptians had a system of barter trade too. If someone wanted an item, but didn't have enough deben to pay for it, they could offer something else in exchange. So, for example, if someone wanted to buy a fancy vase but only had 10 deben, they could offer the seller 15 bushels of wheat as well. It's like a modern-day flea market, isn't it?

But wait, there's more! The Ancient Egyptians also traded with other countries. They had a special port city called "Djedet" (modern-day Damietta) which was used to trade with countries like Syria, Palestine, and even Greece. They exported various products such as linen, gold, oil, and even mummies (yes, you read that right). Imagine someone asking for a shipload of mummies to jazz up their Halloween party!

In conclusion, the Ancient Egyptian economy was built around agriculture, with the invention of writing and the use of currency, and also had a system of barter trade and international trade. The Ancient Egyptians were a clever bunch and knew how to keep their economy thriving for over 3,000 years. Who knew learning about the economy could be so much fun?