Ever wonder what happens when a city decides it wants more immigrants?
First of all, an area must be selected, within the bounds of the charter granted by the Pharaoh (called, of course, "the map"). If there is a continuous land route from the immigration point to the area to be settled, fine. If not, ferry terminals must be built.
Ferry terminals do not imply ferries. If there are no houses by the ferry terminals, they will just be empty landings. But they are important: if the immigrants see empty ferry teminals, they assume therewill be ferries someday, which will make it worthwhile to live there; if not for themselves, then for their children. So if they need to cross the water, they will make boats (more like rafts, actually) out of available materials. These boats are for a single-use only and so are quite rickety. But they get the newcomers across to their destinations.
As each family (or individual) enters the city, they are given a scrap of papyrus with the number of their assigned piece of Egypt on it (or scratched on a rock before the Men-nefer level). They then have to look for the lot with the same number. (Sometimes they have to circle around to find the right lot and this results in approaching their new home from the "wrong" direction.)
Not all lots are equally desireable, however, and there is much switching around of the numbered markers in front of each piece of property by those who get there first.
And what do they find there? It would be rude and unworkable to just point them to raw land. So each site must be prepared by leveling the ground and putting up some awnings to tame the hot Egyptian sun. Each family or individual entering the city is given a ground mat to take with them and put down as a temporary floor.
This is why is costs money to "build" housing sites. This is paid for out of the city treasury; the immigrants are not expected to pay for it themselves. (Many migrants come because they don't have enough money to make it in their cities of origin; the expanding population guarantees that sooner or later people will have to seek new ground in order to be able to live.)
Once they arrive, there is a short settling-in period. Both the husband and wife work to make their crude hut barely livable; but pretty soon the labor recruiter comes around calling for workers. At this point, the husband usually goes off to find paid work while the wife continues to settle the nest (and when the kids are old enough, she goes looking for a job as well).
If there is a well nearby, or if a water carrier comes by, she can obtain water which makes the hut a lot more livable. They accept that this is their new happy home, which encourages them to begin the long process of upgrades; perhaps to merge their house with their neighbors to create a larger, more efficient, multi-family house.
And so become part of the Egyptian dream.
First of all, an area must be selected, within the bounds of the charter granted by the Pharaoh (called, of course, "the map"). If there is a continuous land route from the immigration point to the area to be settled, fine. If not, ferry terminals must be built.
Ferry terminals do not imply ferries. If there are no houses by the ferry terminals, they will just be empty landings. But they are important: if the immigrants see empty ferry teminals, they assume there
As each family (or individual) enters the city, they are given a scrap of papyrus with the number of their assigned piece of Egypt on it (or scratched on a rock before the Men-nefer level). They then have to look for the lot with the same number. (Sometimes they have to circle around to find the right lot and this results in approaching their new home from the "wrong" direction.)
Not all lots are equally desireable, however, and there is much switching around of the numbered markers in front of each piece of property by those who get there first.
And what do they find there? It would be rude and unworkable to just point them to raw land. So each site must be prepared by leveling the ground and putting up some awnings to tame the hot Egyptian sun. Each family or individual entering the city is given a ground mat to take with them and put down as a temporary floor.
This is why is costs money to "build" housing sites. This is paid for out of the city treasury; the immigrants are not expected to pay for it themselves. (Many migrants come because they don't have enough money to make it in their cities of origin; the expanding population guarantees that sooner or later people will have to seek new ground in order to be able to live.)
Once they arrive, there is a short settling-in period. Both the husband and wife work to make their crude hut barely livable; but pretty soon the labor recruiter comes around calling for workers. At this point, the husband usually goes off to find paid work while the wife continues to settle the nest (and when the kids are old enough, she goes looking for a job as well).
If there is a well nearby, or if a water carrier comes by, she can obtain water which makes the hut a lot more livable. They accept that this is their new happy home, which encourages them to begin the long process of upgrades; perhaps to merge their house with their neighbors to create a larger, more efficient, multi-family house.
And so become part of the Egyptian dream.