Grain Silos

Along with water, food is one of the basic human needs. When a population’s staple diet is bread, being able to effectively manage its production is an essential skill. In the ancient world, common threats such as warfare, flooding or drought could ruin a harvest. By storing excess grain from successful harvests a nation not only ensured its own safety, but also enabled it to assist others – making grain a powerful diplomatic tool. Consequently, control of its granaries was often the issue at the centre of internal power struggles. This is vividly demonstrated by the discovery of model granaries buried along with their owners to demonstrate the deceased’s agricultural power.