Nile: Difference between revisions

As the Nile was such an important factor in Egyptian life, the ancient calendar was even based on the three cycles of the Nile. These seasons, each consisting of four months of thirty days each, were called [[Season of the Inundation|Akhet]], [[Season of the Emergence|Peret]], and [[Shemu]]. Akhet, which means inundation, was the time of the year when the Nile flooded, leaving several layers of fertile soil behind, aiding in agricultural growth.<ref name="SpringerMorris2010">{{Cite book |last1=Springer |first1=Lisa |title=Art and Culture of Ancient Egypt |last2=Neil Morris |publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4358-3589-4 |page=8}}</ref> Peret was the growing season, and Shemu, the last season, was the harvest season when there were no rains.<ref name="SpringerMorris2010" />

 

[[File:JH Speke.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[John Hanning Speke|John&nbsp;Hanning&nbsp;Speke]]&nbsp;{{circa|lk=no|1863}}. Speke was the [[Victorian Age|Victorian]] explorer who first reached [[Lake Victoria]] in 1858, returning to establish it as the source of the Nile by 1862.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=698}}]]