From the Pharaohs to the United Arab Republic of the present day, Egypt's agriculture has been subject to very different forms of political power and organization. The papers in this volume draw on the abundant documentary and archaeological evidence to analyse and compare the patterns of agricultural exploitation across historical periods (including Ptolemaic, Roman, and Ottoman times).

Among important themes discussed are: the changing composition of agrarian elites, relationships between state, landholders and peasants, the impact of commercialization on the rural economy, technology, irrigation and water control, and changes in crop patterns and production.

This volume's comparativist approach to the subject is crucial in crossing the linguistic and historical barriers between the different eras in Egypt's agrarian history.