The Egyptians were blessed with conditions that granted them exceptional arable land, annually revitalised by the flooding of the Nile. While a village economy initially provided the basis for landowning in Egypt, the government eventually seized control of land and created large royal estates. Owning land became prestigious, and reserved for the privileged and powerful. By the New Kingdom period, between 1550BC and 1069BC, the Pharaohs began to give land in recognition for military service, and veterans became established contributors to the agricultural economy, often using local slaves to work their holdings.
