..how the ancient Egyptians got drinking water. I started thinking about this when I woke up at 4 this morning and I haven't been able to figure it out. They were on the Nile..salt water I think. They would have to go pretty deep into the sand to get fresh water if it were there at all. Was it imported from Rome or somewhere? Maybe one of the org know-it-alls can answer.
Anna

Well, they could always boil it... and the Egyptians were very smart, so they probably made some machine to filtrate all the salt. Doncha think?

i could shed some light on this, but it involves using the words and refers to the people...i'll probably be labelled a nazi loving bastard by those of us here who are so politically correct

Well...I dunno about filtration it would be really difficult..they were smart though...maybe they just got it from the natural water in fruits and fruit juices. We know they had that..but I can't imagine having such a huge fruit industry to be able to feed the cows and all that..it would be complicated.

conch5184 said:

I think the Nile is a fresh water river. It was the source of life for ancient Egyptians. They irregated the water to use for their crops, so it must be fresh water...otherwise it would've killed the plants.

conch5184 said:

One word: Aqueducts.

I guess it is natural fresh water. Only now in the last generation it's been slowed to the point that salt from the Mediterranean is getting up it.
By the way, did anybody know that the world is running out of drinking water? I guess you probably did. Gosh I'm showing a lack of knowledge about geography and world issues today. Strange.

SUNIO said:

Invented by the Romans. 'gyptians were hanging at least a few months prior to those guys.

I believe Apples is the winner.
Anna

conch5184 said:

Yes, that's what I've read too...the flow of the river is very weak at the Nile delta and the salt water from the Mediterranian Sea is washing up into it.
But, it's still a pretty BIG river system, so the majority must still be pure freshwater.

conch5184 said:

YES!

Ardeo said:

Note how u seem 2 have been right judging by the lack of replies 2 your kind offer of explaining?

Im listening...

conch5184 said:

The Nile is over 4,000 miles long. It flows from south to north and is freshwater. The only part of the Nile that is saltwater is the northern delta. In the past, the flow of the Nile used to be strong enough to keep this freshwater also, but the flow has slowed and now the delta is saltwater.

The land either side of the Nile used to be very lush and green due to annual flooding, so there was no problem for ancient Egyptians either with food or water, apart from when the river didn't flood. The Nile is the prime source of irrigation for Egypt still and if you visit it you will see farms either side of it. It no longer floods and so the land surrounding it is mainly desert however the Egyptians have been putting in dams and such to create more agricultural land. I believe this has been successful so far.