Any assessment of the material world of ancient Egypt has to include a catalog of the resources immediately available to the dwellers in the Nile valley. On the most basic level the Egyptians possessed the essential ingredients for survival from the beginning of their culture – a constant supply of water and at least the potential for gathering and eventually growing foodstuffs. In addition to collecting food from the native plant materials they had the possibilities of supplementing their diet by hunting and trapping. Eventual guaranties of continued supplies were provided by the domestication of animals and the gradual development of agriculture. In the transition from the state of hunting and gathering to organized agriculture and animal husbandry, the utilization of local resources for the production of shelter, clothing, and tools had to be understood and utilized.

The Nile valley and the delta were rich in some basic material assets and lacking in others. One of the most abundant (and obvious) resources was the rich earth that was renewed each year. Not only did it make the cultivation of crops, particularly varieties of grain, a relatively simple operation, but it provided building materials that were readily available and simple to work with. However, an extensive supply of wood for construction was not one of these resources.