Panoramic views of the pyramids of Giza today give us an idea of how arid the region is. Vast territories are completely covered with sand where the most impressive pyramids of the planet rise and ancient cities that served as one of the most intriguing cultures in history. But this was not always so, Egypt was not always a great dessert.
Changes through the millennia
Not all of Egypt, ancient or modern, qualifies as desert. The region enjoys the great Nile River that gives its surrounding areas a lush air due to the humidity provided by the environment. So much so that it is even known that in ancient times, the Egyptians were skilled farmers. But the environment has also been changing since the great Egyptian culture was erected on the grounds.
Some areas that we observe today as arid and desolate deserts were once wetter regions. One example is the famous ‘Cave of the swimmers’, located on the Gilf Kebir plateau in southwestern Egypt. Today, only an arid desert remains in this region, but it is known that this was not always the case thanks to cave paintings showing Egyptians swimming.
According to carbon data, the painting dates from between 6,000 and 9,000 years ago, so Egypt was much wetter during this time. However, something happened 5,000 years ago when the wet period came to an end and since then its deserts have remained very similar to the way we know them today.
Man-made reverse process
Although it may have happened that certain humid areas became deserts, the reverse process also occurred, but this time it was man-made. Between the 1960s and 1970s, the Aswan High Dam, which is connected to the Nile River, was built. And it was precisely this construction that was responsible for greatly altering the landscape because it brought more moisture to the landscape.
The dam caused the flooding of some areas in southern Egypt, which in turn led to the creation of a considerable flood region that eventually became Lake Nasser. With this, many of the historically important archaeological sites ended up underwater.
One of the most important consequences is that Lake Nasser also put an end to the natural floods caused by the Nile, which were of great importance to Egyptian culture. Even “many of their creation myths speak of this, their gods and the land and peoples emerging from the primordial waters, rising like an island to thrive,” explains Pearce Paul Creasman, director of the American Center for Oriental Research.
In conclusion, not all of Egypt, whether in ancient times or the present, can be considered completely arid. Although there were significant changes that altered the landscape forever.
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva
