Ancient Egyptian plants: Cereals

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Cereals

Corn harvest. Drawing after wall decorations in the tomb of Petosiris.
Source: Lefebvre, Gustave ; 1924, Le Tombeau de Petosiris

Cereals are grasses indigenous to the Mediterranean region and western Asia. They were domesticated early on and became the staple food of Old World agricultural civilisations. The Egyptians grew a number of cereals:
Emmer, (Triticum dicoccum), is an old species of spelt with bearded ears. The spikelets contain two grains. Emmer is one of the most ancient domesticated forms of grain. Low in gluten content, emmer dough does not rise when baked and was therefore given a flat pitta shape or eaten as porridge.
The most important cereal was seemingly Barley, (Hordeum vulgare), used both for baking bread and brewing beer. It originated in Ethiopia and was grown in Egypt since pre-dynastic times. Barley has no gluten, it may have been mixed with other cereals to achieve a sourdough which rose, or again, like spelt bread, it was eaten in the form of thin pittas.
Wheat, (Triticum aestivum), was possibly introduced in the Late Period, though claims are made that it had been available for much longer. Thanks to its high gluten content it rises during baking, resulting in airy bread.
Oat, (Avena strigosa, Schreb.), Sorghum, (Sorghum vulgare), and millet were of minor economic importance. They were indigenous to Egypt, growing wild and provided nourishment for the poor of the country.

The economic importance of corn is reflected in the frequency corn is mentioned in mythology and depicted in tombs. Neper was the corn god, who had his own barque as depicted in the second chapter of the Book of Am Tuat. There are also three gods, each of whom has two ears of corn stuck in his hair; these are called Besua, Neper, and Tepu. The Coffin Texts describe Neper as he who lives after he has died.

The barque of the grain-god Neper
From The Book of Am-Tuat by E. A. Wallis Budge [1]

Osiris was the primary vegetation god. The pigs treading the seed into the ground symbolised the temporary ascendence of Seth over his brother, but the sprouting corn demonstrated the ultimate victory of Osiris.
Rough earthen statuettes of Osiris were made and grains of corn inserted into them which began to sprout, covering the statuette in growing corn. Such statuettes were left in the tombs of the deceased as proof of the continuity of life after death.

Corn growing from the dead body of Osiris.

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		[1] The Book of Am-Tuat by E. A. Wallis Budge
		Cereals in ancient Egypt
		The Giza Plateau Mapping Project - 1993-94 Annual Report by Mark Lehner