Irrigation Ditches

The cultivation of land in the hot climate around the Mediterranean was not always easy. Irrigation and crop rotation were used in Greece, especially where the soil fertility was poor and farmland uncommon. Terracing allowed for small fields to be created on the steep hillsides of islands and valleys. Olives, figs and grapes were grown everywhere. Honey was very important as a delicacy because it was seen as a connection with the gods. Bread was the staple diet, with up to seventy different types known. It was made from wheat or barley. Barley was preferred because it was less demanding to grow and more productive than wheat. Animals were kept but meat was mainly consumed at festival times. Greeks also associated meat-eating with nomads and barbaric cultures, while civilised people tamed and then ate nature. Animals were also more useful alive: oxen were beasts of burden, and goats were kept for milk and cheese.