00:00Ancient Egyptian civilization developed within a landscape defined by scarcity as much as abundance.
00:06Tree cover along the floodplain was limited and discontinuous.
00:10Native species were small, irregular, and structurally weak.
00:15Yet Egyptian society depended on wood at nearly every level of activity.
00:19Boats, tools, roof beams, furniture, coffins, and military equipment all required timber of consistent quality and length.
00:28Egypt's development therefore rested on a contradiction.
00:31A civilization sustained by a predictable river system lacked one of the most basic construction materials needed to use that
00:38system effectively.
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