Comparison Of Mesopotamian And Egyptian Art

Each Mesopotamian city states worshiped local gods and spirits. If they were part of a large kingdom or Empire, then they might be forced to worship the religion of the state but usually kept local beliefs intact. This is primarily because of how fragmented ancient Mesopotamia used to be. Egyptian Polytheism differs a lot from Mesopotamian Animism and Polytheism in several ways. The Egyptian’s worshiped the state religion alone and did not have separate local religions as often. The rough geography most likely helped with this along with the unity of Egypt. The ziggurats of Mesopotamia and the various monuments of Egypt have similarities and seemingly different functions. The Mesopotamians built ziggurats as temples, but the monuments of Egypt have various roles including for burial which reflects another major religious difference, the Egyptians believed in an afterlife which resulted in many artifacts preserved helping historians know more about their culture, not what was intended, but useful later

They also had temples that were used to honor the gods; each temple had its own priest who would perform tributary ceremonies and sacrifices. They also had Ziggurats, also known as “Mountains of God” or “Hill of Heaven”, which were located in the middle of the city. These were often pyramid shaped and only priests were allowed to enter and attend deities. Egypt was also polytheistic; they also had pyramids, however they used mummification. Egypt also had three different structures known as Ma’at, Ka, and Ba. Ma’at was what classified individuals based on their stability, wisdom, truth, etc. Ka was something that was continued after death, as long as the body was still intact and nourished by the living. Ba, also translated as “soul,” was the expression of an individual’s presence, power, and personality. Mesopotamia was well known for rivalry between city-states. There were many events such as Sargon invading Sumer and conquering all of Mesopotamia, shortly after the Semitic invaders from Syria invaded Mesopotamia as well. On the other hand, Egypt was mostly known for unified, long lasting

I will start off comparing the obvious similarities both statues of which both were made in the same geographic area. This is important to note as the Egyptian culture and Mesopotamian culture was very similar. Both cultures had a ruler or king, and both cultures settled around a river that supplied agriculture. I believe this is why

Throughout history, civilizations have ascended into power in areas thriving with natural resources due to the many advantages these areas provide. Two primary examples of this are the first civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. The ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt can attribute their rise and prosperity to successful agriculture, proximity to river deltas, and protective physical barriers.

Mesopotamia and Egypt had different religions. Mesopotamia made figurines that would pray for them as they did other things. Egyptians worshipped their pharaohs as if they were gods. If one of their pharaohs dies, they would bury them in their own temples. The Egyptians also mummified the dead bodies. Mesopotamia had 7 Mesopotamian gods that represented the elements. Mesopotamia and Egypt were both religious, but had different

Egypt had pharaohs that ran Egypt while on the other hand, Mesopotamia’s early government had temple priests that controlled everything. While Egypt was divided into separately functioning upper Egypt and lower Egypt that was ruled by separate kings , Mesopotamia was divided into city states that functioned as its own independent country with the help of the priests as the mesopotamian reading states. The people in ancient Egypt viewed the pharaoh as an equivalent to the god, on the other hand Mesopotamia viewed their Priests as equal to the king and someone that was admired by the Gods. The Egyptians believed the Pharaohs were the ones that caused crops to grow and the sun to rise everyday. This was different from Mesopotamia as They believed everything that was happened was influenced by God including their ruler who represented God in Mesopotamia. A similarity both countries had according to the text was their control over the people as both the Mesopotamian and Egyptian rulers had massive control over their fellow people as they were viewed in a holy

The artworks of Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt are both strikingly different and similar at the same time. Consistent is the theme of serving the different gods the two cultures believed in. In Mesopotamia the various city-states each had their own protective deity, and in Egypt they sometimes differed from one dynasty to the next. Whatever the case, with the beginning of kingdoms and rulership came the need to justify a position of power and establish a hierarchy. And as more time passed came also the human need to leave an impression on their world. Looking at the example of the statues of Gudea from the Neo-Sumerian period and the Temple of Ramses II from the New Kingdom of Egypt in the 19th dynasty, will show how both rulers of

Mesopotamian and Egyptian societies share common attributes such as social beliefs, environmental placing and Culture. These civilizations were created together in the same time period amongst each other. Although the booming areas were similar they didn't share all of the same features.

The Egyptians viewed the afterlife as a happy place filled with food and the gods. In contrast, the Mesopotamians viewed the afterlife as a place of horror and fear. The vital cause for the differences of viewpoints in the afterlife is the River they depended on. Both civilizations saw the afterlife as an extension of their current life. With this being said, the Nile was giving and gave them lots of water along with silt, which was crucial for the survival of their crops. In turn, the Egyptians perspective on the afterlife was gracious. Conversely, the Mesopotamians depended on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. While it did bless them with fresh water, on occasions, the river would grow violent and cause a catastrophic amount of damage to their homes and crops. Since they also viewed their afterlife as an extension to their current lives, they saw it as a dark and horrible place that wasn’t wanted. However, both civilizations accomplished achievements through religion and for other reasons.

Both regions taxed the people and punished those who could not pay. Mesopotamia forced citizens unable to pay taxes into slavery to pay their debts. Those greatly burdened from taxes in Egypt sometimes fled into the desert. Both civilizations had kings residing over them. The Egyptian king was called a pharaoh and they were believed to be a link to the gods. Mesopotamia had kings the lugal and kept order in the civilization. Hammurabi is a memorable king or lugal, because of his relentless military efforts and severe punishments. Religion maintained great amounts of power in influence in both Mesopotamia and Egypt. The priests in Mesopotamia were in the same social class as the king and temples called ziggurats were built devoted to the gods. In Egypt, the pharaoh was reveled for his connection to the gods and elaborate burials for constructed to help him in the afterlife. The government required the people to do service, which is how the great pyramids were constructed. Temples were also created for the gods, like in Mesopotamia. The regions shared many similarities in the political structure of the

Religion was an important factor in the everyday lives of Mesopotamians and ancient Egyptians. Both civilizations were polytheistic which meant they worshiped multiple gods. Many elaborate temples were built to praise them. The leaders in both regions were believed to be related to the gods because of the great power they held and wealth under their control. Mesopotamians and ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife. When people died, they were buried with items to take along.

Two early civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt, developed intricate societies with unique religious, political, and social aspects. A very pronounced difference in the two civilizations is how Egyptians viewed nature and the afterlife as cosmic and orderly, while the Mesopotamians viewed it as sporadic and variable. Another key difference is how the Mesopotamian land was divided into city-states, yet Egypt had a highly centralized government. Both societies, however, valued priests, and were ranked highest in their social hierarchy.

During the period from 2700 B.C.E to 1000 B.C.E., the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt shared many similarities. Both have kingships, farming and agriculture, technology and metallurgy, grain storage, and a system of hierarchy that included slavery. Although they are quite similar, they show differences as well, including their perspective of the afterlife and the fact that Mesopotamia experienced conquests while documents showed Egypt as a conqueror.

When comparing two forms of artwork, it may be quite difficult to tell them apart. And when those artworks are thousands upon thousands of years old, it certainly does not help the issue. When looking at both Egyptian and Sumerian art, there is certainly a resemblance to some degree. Both are from before our time, and both express the beliefs and culture of their respective lineage. But if you delve deeper, you can certainly start to see a difference. Egyptian art is known widely for its hieroglyphics, while Sumerian art may be seen as focusing more on the naturalistic views on the human form. Both these cultures deserve the utmost respect, for their artwork to survive through the millenniums as they have, we can only give credit

Egyptians viewed the afterlife in a very positive way - they believed if they lived by the standards of “Ma’at”, they would end up in the “Happy Field of Food” or “Field of Offerings” in the afterlife. “Ma’at”, simply put, composed of acting in ways that are truthful, harmonious, moral, balanced, and orderly. In simple terms, Egyptians believed that if they acted with morality, they would have a happy afterlife with no hunger or pain. Mesopotamians had a much darker view of life after death: they believed they would spend eternity in the “House of Dust” with other tortured souls. Mesopotamian gods were not moral or truthful - they cheated, lied, stole, etc., and Mesopotamians believed that humans were created simply because the gods grew tired of working. Mesopotamians worshipped their gods because they believed if they worshipped enough, they may receive blessings or justice, but this was not guaranteed.