The New Kingdom of ancient Egypt is known for its
contributions to agriculture. Most countries during this period used
heavy ploughs to turn over their soil to ensure their crops received
enough nutrients. However, the Egyptians were able to use lighter
ploughs because of the Nile River. The Nile River would
occasionally flood, and by doing so it deposited the nutrients on top
of the soil. Because of this natural phenomenon, ancient Egyptians
used ploughs for a different purpose; that purpose was to break up
the topsoil prior to planting seeds and covering them.
In the painting, both of the Egyptians are holding an object.
The female Egyptian looks like she is holding a pile of wheat. And
The male Egyptian seems to be holding something that looks
almost like a mirror. It is possible that the pile of wheat and the
mirror-shaped object is symbolic of a prayer for a good harvest.
The fruit on the bottom of the painting also might allude to a prayer
for a good harvest because the bottom has grape trees and what
look like fig trees, which are crops the ancient Egyptians grew.
When both halves of the painting are put together, they both
represent a different stage of the planting cycle. The top half
represents the beginning stage (ploughing), and the bottom half
represents the ending stage (harvesting). This can also prove the
painting is a prayer because the top can be what the farmer did that
was in his control, and the bottom can be the thing the farmer
wanted to happen that was beyond his control.
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