A civilization has a stable food supply when it has enough food to feed its people and still have enough left over to trade with other societies. Agriculture and domesticating animals allowed a society to have a steady stream of food versus an unpredictable source of food from hunting and gathering. For example, during the Archaic Period in Ancient Egypt, they used the fertile ground by the NIle River to cultivate vegetables, fruits, and grains. Ancient Egyptians also had pigs, goats, geese, and cattle to serve as a source of meat.

A stable food supply matters because it allows a civilization evolve from a nomadic hunter-gatherer society to a society with a homeland. The agriculture and domestication of animals supplies a society with