Ancient Egyptian HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS OF THE FAIYUM

One of the first necessities for the evolving Egyptian
nation was to control the Nile River, which inundated the
land throughout its valley each year with deposits of silt
and mud. In the FAIYUM, where Predynastic Period inhabitants
had discovered the ease with which they could turn
to agricultural pursuits, efforts were made to channel the
water coming through the Bahr Yusef into the region.
Dikes, canals, and ditches were dug in the Old Kingdom
(2575–2134 B.C.E.), but the major renovations were
accomplished by the pharaohs of the Twelfth Dynasty,
especially by AMENEMHET III (1844–1797 B.C.E.).
The purpose of the irrigation systems and hydraulic
projects was to extend the time during which the Nile
waters could be made available to fields in the western
Delta and the Faiyum. The Nile had formed Lake MOERIS
there in the Predynastic Period, and the Egyptians started
building a retaining wall some 27 miles long, a construction
which provided them with 27,000 acres of farmland.
During the flood period, the Nile provided new water for
the lake, and the water was carefully channeled into
depressions that were dug from the soil by hand. Regulators,
such as matted covers and wooden slats, provided
control over the flow of the water. It has been estimated
that Lake Moeris doubled in size during inundations, and
most of its water was directed into other depressions or
into channels that led to a vast irrigation-ditch complex.
Sluices and narrow ravines were devised for regulating
irrigation, and gullies were cut into the natural banks
or placed in the retaining walls at various points so that
water could be stored or used as the seasons and the
crops demanded. These sluices were covered with the
same reed mats and kept under constant supervision by a
unit of trained irrigation experts. The mats were lowered
or raised according to the requirements of distant fields
that were connected to the water reserve by channels. All
of the hydraulic system components required constant
vigilance and repairs, and these were carried out throughout
the year. When the shaduf was introduced by the
Hyksos in the Second Intermediate Period (1640–1532
B.C.E.), the movement of water was greatly improved.
Crops could be rotated and an additional growing season
coaxed from the Faiyum because of the ability of crews to
transfer water efficiently.
Though the Egyptians had a skillfully designed
hydraulic system, they did not have earthmoving equipment.
Hundreds of able-bodied men came into an area
and simply dug out the ground in a desired region. The
earth was put into baskets, which were carried away to a
particular point where a wall was needed or where
mounds could protect various crops or estates.