The Management of Agricultural Resources in Ancient Egypt: Production and Storage of By-Products

Based on a combination of archaeobotanical, pictorial, and ethnographic evidence, it is possible to ascertain the ways in which agricultural by-products were managed and stored in ancient Egypt. The remains of cereal processing ‘waste’ (chaff) found at settlement sites proves the presence and use of these products within towns and villages, while interpretation of the detailed depictions of cereal processing in Old Kingdom tombs combined with observations of modern Egyptian farming indicates methods of storage. These agricultural by-products were a crucial commodity in ancient Egypt, therefore knowing how they were managed provides valuable information on rural economies.