Most of the foreign words are known to us from the pages of books, from television screens, from monitors of our own computers. Moreover, the meanings of certain terms may not be fully understood, especially when it comes to the most ancient times and peoples that existed on the planet several thousand years before our appearance. Many puzzles - from the pyramids to scientific discoveries - left us the world of Ancient Egypt. One of them concerned unusual structures known as “shaduf”. What shaduf is for, what it was intended for, and how it was used in ancient Egypt, is described in this text.
The emergence of irrigation facilities
The first state formations arose during that period of human development, when people gradually abandoned hunting and gathering and switched to settled agriculture. To drain the wetlands, the organized efforts of hundreds of people were required.
A large amount of irrigation work could be carried out only in a state with strong state power, with a clearly defined territory and a large agricultural sector in its own economic structure. One such country was Ancient Egypt.
Egyptian inventions
Egyptian scientists are known for amazing inventions, long ahead of their time. For example, the well-known burial structures of the pharaohs are built using technologies that seem unbelievable even for our times, the same riddle is another ancient building. The fact that such a shaduf is described in detail in extant papyruses is mentioned by ancient historians and travelers. For contemporaries coming to Egypt from other lands, such a structure was incomprehensible and amazing.
Shaduf Description
Any shaduf served as a well. He produced fresh water for residents of coastal cities and villages. Even the meaning of the word "shaduf" is often interpreted as a "well". But the appearance of this building was very reminiscent of a catapult. The long arm was mounted on a solid base. Empty buckets were attached to its free end, which were lowered into the water using a swivel mechanism. The lever, made of hardwood, could be understood and lowered, scooping up fast Nile water, and carry ashore tanks with it. On the other hand, a bag of sand or heavy stones was attached for counterweight. So the Egyptians could pick up fresh water without making significant physical effort.
The popularity of the invention
The simplicity and convenience of this method of obtaining fresh water were quickly appreciated by travelers describing the features of Ancient Egypt. The neighboring peoples quickly learned about what shaduf is. This invention was widely used far beyond the borders of the country in which it was created; such wells were used both in Ancient Europe and in the first states of Asia. Even our ancestors Slavs knew about what shaduf is. The popular well "crane" in many ways resembles its ancient counterpart.