The Essential Nile :: History

many a(prenominal) features of civilization have evolved over time to become what onenormally thinks of as "civilized society." The discipline of government andwriting in the authorized civilization of Egypt can be credited to thereliability of the Nile River. The Nile was a stemma of unification andcentralization in the Egyptian society, helping in the development of governmentand writing with the growth of surpluses.     The Nile River, because of its predictable cycles, "unified andcentered" the Egyptian society. Because of its predictability , the Nile"created a stable agriculture." All the Egyptians chartered to do was to "putseeds in the mud, have pigs trample the seeds down into the ground, and when thetime came, harvest the crop." Essentially, the river was important to the well- be of the cities, and was a vital source for irrigation. Not only did theriver provide a steady flow of water, its flooding also provided fert ile silt.Planted in this fertile soil, crops grew abundantly and allowed for thefacilitation and development of surpluses.     Beginning about 5000 B.C.E., farming had already been instituted alongthe banks of the Nile. But it wasnt until later (3200 B.C.E.) that real boorish advances occurred. Encouraged by the stability of their farming,the Egyptians were able to develop surpluses in the area. This abundance (whichallowed for the evolution and furtherance of culture because it encouraged morepeople to specialize in crafts former(a) than farming) led to a division of labor,and then to social stratification. The improvement of agricultural methods alsoled to the enlargement of cities. This enlargement then led to the need forbureaucracy and administration, and eventually toward the advent of writing.