 01>G85  D>@<8@CNB  >A=>2C  20H59  M:>=><8:8.   #1548B5AL,   GB>  C  20A  4>AB0B>G=>5  :>;8G5AB2>  @01>G8E  4;O  ?>445@60=8O  15A?5@51>9=>3>  ?@8B>:0  @5AC@A>2,   >4=0:>  ?><=8B5,   GB>  >=8  15770I8B=K  2  1>N.   @8:068B5  20H8<  @01>G8<  ?>AB@>8BL  < l i n k = " p r o t o : M o n u m e n t " > >=C<5=BK< / l i n k > ,   :>B>@K5  1C4CB  ?@8=>A8BL  1;03>A:;>==>ABL  1>3>2.   @8:068B5  20H8<  < l i n k = " p r o t o : P h a r a o h " > D0@0>=0<< / l i n k >   CA8;8BL  740=8O  8;8  8E  DC=40<5=BK,   GB>1K  CA:>@8BL  2  =8E  A:>@>ABL  A1>@0  @5AC@A>2  8;8  8E  AB@>8B5;LAB20. 
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 F a r m i n g   a n d   l a b o r i n g   p e a s a n t s   m a d e   u p   t h e   b u l k   a n c i e n t   E g y p t  s   p o p u l a t i o n .   T h e y   p r o v i d e d   t h e   s u r p l u s   o f   f o o d ,   r a w   m a t e r i a l s ,   a n d   m a n u f a c t u r e s   t h a t   s u p p o r t e d   t h e   r u l i n g   p h a r a o h s ,   t h e   c i v i l   b u r e a u c r a c y ,   t h e   p r i e s t h o o d ,   a n d   t h e   a r m y .   A l t h o u g h   t h e   l i f e   o f   t h e   p e a s a n t s   w a s   n o t   e a s y ,   t h e y   l i v e d   b e t t e r   t h a n   p e a s a n t s   e l s e w h e r e   d u e   t o   t h e   b o u n t y   o f   t h e   N i l e   V a l l e y .   P e a s a n t s   w o r k e d   t h e   f i e l d s ,   m a i n t a i n e d   t h e   e x t e n s i v e   i r r i g a t i o n   s y s t e m ,   a n d   l a b o r e d   o n   h u g e   p u b l i c   w o r k s   l i k e   t h e   p y r a m i d s ,   t e m p l e s ,   a n d   o t h e r   m o n u m e n t s . 