...Ancient Egypt vs. Mesopotamia The decision to write this Paper came about as soon as I read the subject. I am in love with Ancient Cultures. It is very interesting to me to study and learn new things about the style of life peoples of ancient times lead, the type of housing and furniture ancient peoples possessed, the foods and resources they had at hand, as well as the religious and other daily values which ancient peoples believed in. To compare the Ancient Egyptian civilization to the civilization of Ancient Mesopotamia is surely going to be a task which will not be easy, especially since it is my personal believe that both of these grandiose civilizations cannot be compared to one another. Comparing the Ancient Mesopotamian Civilization to the Civilization of Ancient Egypt is not really possible once you think about the difference of years between the beginnings of each of these Civilizations. Mesopotamia is considered to be at the least 5000 years older than Ancient Egypt. The earliest civilized form of Human development in Mesopotamia is known to Historians to have occurred between 10500-3500 BC (Mayan Archeology), whilst Historians believe the Ancient Egyptian Civilization to have started between the years of approx. 5500- 3100 BC, which is what is considered the Pre-dynastic Period. (Experience ancient) While Ancient Egypt started to develop Mesopotamia already made big progress in forms of Farming, building the first settlements...
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...How Geography Effected Ancient Cultures Mesopotamia and Egypt in the ancient world were in modern day Iraq, and Egypt is still there today. Culture in theses societies, was loosely based on their natural surroundings. While geography in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt differed in stability and protection, they were similar in farming opportunities, with comparable sources of water giving them both the chance to excel in agriculture. The river flooding in Mesopotamia and Egypt differed in predictability; while rivers in Mesopotamia were sporadic in flood patterns, the Nile in Egypt was very predictable in its flooding. This caused the two civilizations to have opposing ideas of the power of their gods. In ancient Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were incredibly unpredictable, and when they flooded they caused frenzies in surrounding areas. This unpredictability was reflected in their religion, as they felt the flooding of the rivers was a punishment for something they did. In thinking they could never please the gods, the people of Mesopotamia believed one only had the underworld to look forward to after death. They viewed nature as something out to get them. This belief led to more selfishness in people, and as a result, people were generally less trusting. However, in Egypt, the Nile River and its yearly predictable flooding led to the creation of calendars to plan agriculture around flooding; therefore, the flooding would help, not hurt them. The predictability...
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...When examining the ancient cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia, it is vital to observe the distinct similarities between their religious beliefs. Considering the geographic closeness of the two ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia occupying mainly modern day Iraq, centered around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and Egypt which is still located in the region recognized as modern Egypt, centralized around the Nile River, and the overlapping time frame both of these societies occupied, it is not unexpected that Mesopotamia and Egypt would possess similar ideologies. Despite the fact that the political structure of these civilizations differed between Mesopotamia’s unstable collection of city-states and Egypt’s unified monarchy, both societies were comprised a polytheistic philosophy where the Gods reflected a larger, universal system. Furthermore, both ancient civilizations relied on the flooding of their adjacent rivers for survival and these floods manifested within their religious ideologies. Although, the annual flooding of the Nile gave the Egyptians a sense of comfort and satiability surrounding death and was the direct rational of the Egyptians belief that rebirth followed death, the inconsistent flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates left the Mesopotamian people uncertain of the continuity of lives, evident in their harsh God’s and lack of interpretation of what the after-life consists of. Nevertheless, the similarities between the two culture’s religious beliefs are far too comparable...
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...The Role of Governments in Ancient Civilizations Peoples in ancient civilizations had different worldviews, and government was an essential aspect of their cultures. How those peoples understood the role of government determined the expectations individuals had from rulers. Some written records provide essential information to understand the differences and similarities of governments of the first civilizations. A comparison and contrast of some of those written records on three ancient civilization aims to provide a description of the different understandings of the role of government in those cultures. The Judgments of Hammurabi, a collection of decisions or laws and the Epic of Gilgamesh, the story of a king, are documents that provide...
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...13.) Mesopotamia appeared around 3500 B.C.E. and is one of the first civilizations. Another is Egypt appearing around 3500 B.C.E. Norte Chico was also one of the first civilizations appearing around 3500 B.C.E. These civilizations all had advancements in technology. These also had agriculture, which helped them grow in the first place. 14.) Cities were important because they made technological advancements. With such a high concentration of people someone is bound to find something new out. Cities were also good for spreading ideas and trade. 15.) When a ruler was established and the money was piling up they decided it should be split up. The higher up you were the more money you would get. This is where it all began. Also, gender inequality has been around forever. Women generally stayed at home while the men did the work, but soon women became a sort of property to men and women relied upon them. 16.) Gender inequality was a problem in early civilizations. Men were seen as more powerful than women. Women were seen as property and men were allowed to have...
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...Rough Draft 11/8/2014 In most civilizations in the ancient world, there were vast differences between the lives of men and women. For example, women could not serve in the Roman Senate, own property in ancient Greece, or ask for divorce. All of these rules existed while men had the ability to do all of these things. The life of a woman in the ancient world was in no way equal to men in most societies. The Egyptians believed that joy and happiness were of the utmost importance in life, and regarded the home and family as a major source of happiness. This meant that the Egyptian’s thought better of women who did not work, and took care of the home and family. All other ancient civilizations had one thing in common. Mesopotamia, Rome, Greece, and Israel were all surrounded by other sets of people. This meant that these other civilizations had to be warlike societies, and this meant women would have less of a role because men believed women could not fight as well in battle. Egypt developed under unique circumstances. The Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea separated the Egyptians from everyone else in the ancient world. In other words, the Egyptians did not have a warlike society because training like that was unnecessary. Since there was no need for a warlike society in Egypt, women had a more established role in society. Women’s rights in Egypt were more equal to men than other civilizations because of the unique circumstances under which Egypt developed, the non-warlike society...
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...Besides Mesopotamia, a second civilization grew up in northeastern Africa, along the Nile River. Egyptian civilization, formed by 3000 B.C., benefited from trade and technological influence from Mesopotamia, but it produced a quite different society and culture. Because its values and its tightly knit political organization encouraged monumental building, we know more about Egypt than about Mesopotamia, even though the latter was in most respects more important and richer in subsequent heritage. Basic Patterns Of Egyptian Society Unlike Mesopotamia and the Middle East, where an original river-valley basis to civilization ultimately gave way to the spread of civilization throughout an entire region, Egyptian civilization from its origins to its decline was focused on the Nile River and the deserts around it. The Nile focus also gave a more optimistic cast to Egyptian culture, for it could be seen as a source of never- failing bounty to be thankfully received, rather than a menacing cause of floods. Egyptian civilization may at the outset have received some inspiration from Sumer, but a distinctive pattern soon developed in both religion and politics. Farming had been developed along the Nile by about 5000 B.C., but some time before 3200 B.C. economic development accelerated, in part because of growing trade wi,h other regions including Mesopotamia. This economic acceleration provided the basis for the formation of...
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...Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia Egypt and Mesopotamia, two of the earliest civilizations, both established around river valleys. Although these civilizations were located in close proximity to each other, their differing geographical features such as rivers and environmental factors led to the development of two very different societies. Rivers in the Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies played enormous roles in the growth of their civilizations. Egypt, located on both sides of the calm and predictable Nile River, agriculturally prospered from annual flooding that left behind rich, fertile soil known as silt. Flood waters would rise in July, slowly saturating the lands of the Nile River valley and recede in October leaving behind silt for farmers to cultivate and grow numerous crops. In contrast, Mesopotamia was located between the capricious and violent Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the valley known as the Fertile Crescent. While Mesopotamians relied on flooding for the fertile, silt rich soil as well, the unpredictability of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers caused unimaginable damages, some of which resulted in the destruction of entire villages. Environmental factors played a role in the creation of these civilizations, especially in their views of their gods. While Egypt experienced hot, dry, mild weather, Mesopotamia was subjected to, more destructive weather that included severe rainstorms, drought, hail, flooding...
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...Ancient Civilizations The first civilizations in history were developed in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Hurrapan and China some 5,000 years ago. All receive the name of river civilizations because they were developed on the banks of major rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates in Mesopotamia; the Nile in Egypt; the Indus in the Hurrapan civilization; and the Yellow River in China. The banks of these rivers were occupied lands very fertile and easy to water, causing a great development of agriculture. The economic growth produced major changes; the population increased and the small villages grew into large cities with many thousands of inhabitants. A civilization is a complex culture in which a large number of people share several common elements. Historians have identified some basic features of the civilization, most of which is obvious in the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Hurrapan, China and Egypt. These include: (1) Urban revolution; the cities become the principal points of the political, financial, social, cultural and religious development. (2) Religious structure characteristic; the gods are considered crucial to the success of the community, and professional religious classes; as administrators of the property of the gods and they regulate relations with the gods. (3) New political structures and military; arises an organized government bureaucracy to meet the administrative demands of the growing population, while armies are organized to acquire domains and power. (4) A...
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...The civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt (between 2700 B.C.E. and 1000 B.C.E.) were religiously different, but similar in political and social factors. The Mesopotamians believed that the afterlife was a bad place, while the Egyptians believed that it was heavenly. Both civilizations used writing and storytelling for political gain. Mesopotamia and Egypt were prosperous societies. A list of Egyptian laws or a document about the destruction of an Egyptian city would have helped me with this assignment. A difference between Mesopotamian and Egyptian culture is their religious beliefs for after death. The people of Mesopotamia thought that the afterlife was a cold, dark, hungry place. It is depicted in the Epic of Gilgamesh, saying, “...people...
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...development of civilizations. From the dawn of civilization to before 600 A. D, it has shaped the course of advancement. Rivers, mountains, valleys, and cataracts influenced human evolution in various ways. Geography played an important part in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India. It still does today. Humans have developed technology because of geographical barriers. In Mesopotamia, people settled in the fertile crescent for farming. They used the silt from the crescent for their agriculture. India has a diverse geography. This diversity supports various lifestyles and cultures. In Egypt, they called the Nile river, “The gift of the Nile”, which shows how critical the Nile was to the civilization. The geography of...
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...Michael Yost B. Berry History 140 07 Nov 2004 Egypt and Mesopotamia; the comparison and contrast of the ancient societies As we take a look at the Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies, there are several similarities. Although, each of the societies had some differences within them, they both borrowed technologies from other societies and were successful during their period in history. Evolving from the Paleolithic times where the people were in small tribes, they lived in whatever shelter that was found. There became a transition to a more stable style of living, known as the Neolithic time or New Stone age. It was a period of history where agriculture started to take hold. Both Egypt and Mesopotamia began to farm the land and settle into an area. Neolithic people began to settle around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; as well as, the Nile River roughly 8,000 B.C. River water provided the necessary irrigation needed to grow crops and a fertile land for farming. These people started to develop science of agriculture. By using agriculture, the Neolithic people move away from the traditional life as a nomad. These people were not always on the move to hunt or gather the food needed to survive. This was the first time for people to enjoy the benefits of not moving around all the time and to develop a large society in one area. Around 4000 B.C., the Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures began to develop and flourish. With large groups of people within one area, they...
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...Cities and Civilizations Review What is a civilization? What caused the shift from hunting & gathering to farming? How did this affect mankind? Around 8000 B.C. a shift began… It was called the Neolithic Revolution This brings in the “New Stone Age” What is the REVOLUTION? A TOTALLY new way of living: Going from Hunter Gathers to Agriculture The invention of Agriculture changed the way people lived. Agriculture (Farming) Growth of Cities Division of Labor (Specialization) Trade Writing and Mathematics ---Why does ‘trade’ bring about writing and mathematics? Mesopotamia – Fertile Crescent Sumer – The Earliest of the River Valley Civilizations Sumerians grew up along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now Kuwait. What is the “Fertile Crescent.”? A well-watered and fertile area, that arcs across the northern part of the Syrian desert. The Fertile Crescent * Greeks called the northern part of the Fertile Crescent …Mesopotamia which means “The Land Between Two Rivers” (Tigris River and Euphrates River) * The southern part of Mesopotamia was called Babylonia, originally Sumer. Which country is Mesopotamia today? (Iraq) Sumer - Sumerians (Kuwait) ca. 3500 to 3000 BC. * Sumer gave us the city-state. * Political unit made up of a city and the surrounding lands. Each city state has its own government, even when it shared a culture with neighboring city states. Sumerian Writing: Cuneiform Cuneiform is created...
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...Kawthar Elwaseem DBQ Throughout history geographic features had significantly influenced both the development and growth of early civilizations. One of the main geographic features that had greatly impacted early civilizations was rivers. Rivers such as the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates, not only resulted in positive affects but also negative. Two such civilizations were Egypt and Mesopotamia. Egypt's early civilization was developed near the Nile river which flows to the Mediterranean sea .The Nile was a positive geographic feature because it helped nourish the cattle’s, brought work, and trade to the people with other civilization which lead to culture diffusion. Another positive part of the Nile would be farming. 8,000 years ago men learned to farm, which provided people with a faster way to get food because farmers were able to use the Nile to water their crops. In addition the Nile flooded once a year causing massive destruction and killing thousands of people and if that wasn’t enough many people later...
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...The Significance of Agriculture in Early Human Civilization Over the course of human evolution, there has been no greater single development with as profound and far reaching effects as that of the development of agriculture. Sustainable agriculture drove human civilization from a hunter-gatherer society to the settled and centralized society we know today. The advent of modern agriculture techniques enabled early man to settle in one area and develop their own food and raw material needed for survival and sustainment. Such developments eliminated the need for small bands of hunters and gatherers to forage for food. Hunter-gatherer societies were constantly on the move in search for food and shelter. Constant movement and migration precluded any significant societal and technological development and made population expansion all but impossible. The sedentary lifestyle and social structures we know today would be impossible without the development of efficient cultivation techniques. For early humans, almost all time and energy was devoted to gathering plants for food and hunting animals. Once agriculture became the primary method for cultivating food, societies and governments began to form and the modern notion of the nation state (or city state in some cases) began. The development of agriculture also had a heavy hand in influencing early religions. Religion would go on to become one of the most dominant forces throughout human history; influencing everything from...
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