An Ancient Egyptian Fruit Basket
From figs and pomegranates to dates and grapes, the ancient Egyptians enjoyed many different types of fruit
Sennedjem and Iineferti in the Fields of Iaru Sennedjem and Iineferti in the Fields of Iaru (A.D. 1922; original ca. 1295–1213 B.C.) by Charles K. WilkinsonThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
The banks of the Nile in Egypt were annually fortified by the flood, which deposited a thick, fertile layer of silt onto agricultural land. This allowed the cultivation of diverse crops, including a wide range of fruits. These were eaten fresh or dried, probably juiced, and of course made into wine or at least used to sweeten or flavour wine and beer. Dried fruits were also used in baked goods. Fruits were often left as offerings in tombs and were depicted in abundance on tomb walls. In addition different vessels and jewellery were shaped as fruits.
Doum Palms and Date Palms
Doum and date palms appear here by the river or a canal (the blue squiggly lines beneath). Doum is a typical Egyptian hard fruit that can be eaten as a snack or crushed into a powder to create tea or juice. It was beloved by the ancient Egyptian and is still appreciated in modern times. This vignette is taken from a larger scene that shows the fields of the afterlife, the ancient Egyptian version of heaven.
Dates were also immensely popular in ancient Egypt, both fresh and dried, in addition to being a valued sweetener, even added to alcoholic drinks.
Common Figs
Figs were very common in ancient Egypt. Not only were they eaten fresh, but dried figs were used in baked goods as well. This scene shows the figs being harvested, with three baboons in the tree. Were they trained to help harvest, or were they stealing the figs? Well, they are not being chased away, so maybe they were indeed happy helpers who got to eat some figs as a reward.
Sycamore Figs
Sycamore trees were an integral part of the ancient Egyptian landscape. Not only were the sweet, fragrant fruits enjoyed by the ancients, the tree was also associated with the goddess Hathor, the patron deity of women, beauty, and motherhood. Very often, Hathor appears emerging from the tree giving offerings or even suckling the king to imbue him with her divinity. The fruits of the sycamore tree need to be scored individually in order to allow for pollination and thus ripen and become sweet. This is a labour-intensive task that has rendered this millennia-long favourite rare in Egypt today.
Pomegranates
Pomegranates arrived in Egypt from western Asia sometime at the beginning of the New Kingdom (ca. 1550 BCE). They soon became indispensable in both life and in funerary worlds. They were eaten, juiced, and perhaps even made into wine. They also possessed medicinal and astringent properties. In death, they were an important item in food offerings depicted on tomb walls. Decorative vessels were often made in the shape of pomegranates. The larger yellow vessel you can see in this picture one may have been used to serve pomegranate juice meant for drinking, and the smaller green vessel, which resembles an unripe fruit, may have contained the sour juice of unripe pomegranates intended for medical uses.
Carob
From as early as the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2055–1650 BCE), carob pods started appearing in tomb offerings. The pulp inside the pods is incredibly sweet, and may have been used to make beverages or as a sweetener.
Persea Fruit
The persea tree was holy to the ancient Egyptians. It was associated with the gods and protected the kings. Additionally, names of kings were believed to have been written onto the leaves of trees by Thoth, god of writing and wisdom, once they acceded to the throne. Persea no longer grows in Egypt, and specialists have often debated its exact identification.
Nabq Fruits
A rarity today, but nevertheless beloved, nabq fruits (or berries) have long been part of the ancient Egyptian fruit basket from as early as the first dynasty (ca. 3100–2910 BCE). Nabq is known today in English as the jujube berry or Christ’s thorn fruit. It is small, round, and crunchy.
Grapes
Grapes were one of the most popular foods in ancient Egypt. Fresh, dried, or pressed to produce wine, grapes were used in a variety of ways. Even the raisins were incorporated in baked goods and possibly as sweeteners in beverages. They were a key offering in tombs, and scenes of vineyards and wine production often decorated the walls. Here, we can see hanging bunches of plump, juicy grapes decorating a jar fragment from Malqata ca. 1390–1353 BCE.
For more of what ancient Egyptians ate, check out this story on the vegetables they ate.
