Question

Why were there so few agricultural innovations in Egypt?

a.The flooding of the Nile was so regular and brought so much silt that very little else needed to be done to have good crops.
b.The Egyptians simply borrowed any ideas created by other complex societies for adoption into their own agricultural practices.
c.Agriculture was never a large enough part of the Egyptian economy that they needed any innovations.
d.The technologies of Egyptian farming had remained the same so long that they were afraid to try anything new.
e.All the crops of Egypt originated in Southwest Asia, as did all the innovation they needed.

Answer 1

The scarcity of agricultural innovations in Egypt was primarily due to the reliable flooding of the Nile River, which provided predictable irrigation and fertile soil, reducing the need for such advancements.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary reason for the lack of agricultural innovations in Egypt was the reliable and beneficial flooding of the Nile River. The Nile's regular flooding provided predictable irrigation and deposited nutrient-rich silt that made the soil very fertile, supporting robust crops without the need for significant agricultural advancement. The Egyptian settlers were able to produce surplus crops, leading to population growth and allowing their society to flourish with fewer agricultural innovations compared to other societies.

During different periods, such as in the medieval kingdoms, innovations such as the water wheel (saqia) allowed for agricultural expansion. However, the fertility of the Nile valley, known as "Kemet" for its black soil, and the annual Nile floods resulted in Egyptian peasants harvesting yields that were significantly larger compared to those in regions like Mesopotamia. Thus, the yearly enrichment of the soil reduced the necessity for new farming techniques.

The Egyptian culture took great advantage of the Nile River for farming, irrigation processes, and flood control, generating an abundance of food supplies. This wealth of resources meant that innovations were less pressing relative to societies without such an advantageous natural irrigation system.