The first civilization on record is Mesopotamia some 12,000 years ago during a period referred to as the Neolithic Revolution. Soon afterward, civilizations developed in Egypt, East Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. These regions were called the “Cradle of Civilization.” While all these cultures had similarities, they also had their differences. From agriculture to religion to technology, each civilization brought unique qualities to our world today.
Mesopotamia is located between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers. Since the area was not surrounded by mountain ranges and sat on sprawling plain, trading between civilizations was accessible. This region was hot and dry and plagued by flooding. Due to its climate, irrigation was needed to move from a hunter/gather culture to agricultural
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Agriculture got its start in Egypt by the Nile River with wheat and barley. Irrigation systems were used which increased the region’s population. Egypt also had flooding though it was much more predictable than the flooding in Mesopotamia. Agriculture conditions were much better in Egypt. Both regions had deities to control the flood waters, but the gods were more “gentle” in Egypt. Religion was significant, and the Pharaohs were treated like gods. Monuments such as pyramids and the Sphinx were erected. Royal burials were also extravagant. There were cemeteries, but the wealthy were separated from the commoners.
Writings for both civilizations were for business and began at around the same time. “Some scholars believe that hieroglyphic writing in Egypt was completely independent of the Mesopotamian invention, and possibly preceded it (Spodek, 67). The writing was done on stone tablets as well as limestone flakes, pottery, and papyrus. Scribes in both regions were highly regarded. In addition to these similarities, there were some
In Egypt specialized labor was a feature to societies in the southern part of the Nile River valley, Egyptian and Nubian lands build patriarchal societies that placed authority in the hands of adult males. The Egyptian economy was really productive because of it’s location and prosperity of the location, Egypt was a center of trade, linking lands in southwest Asia, the eastern Mediterranean, and sub Saharan Africa. The Nile allowed Egyptians to travel back and forth due to the winds, all you needed to do is change your sail. Mesopotamia is known as the fertile crescent. There was much farming in ancient Mesopotamia. Farmers would dig trenches from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to keep their soil moist. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers were very important in Ancient Mesopotamia,
The introduction of writing, the wheel, the calendar, and astronomy. Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt allowed human beings, for the first time in history, to settle down in one place and farm instead of chasing their often dangerous wild animal food sources. Both civilizations shared similarities and differences in their climate, politics, intellect, religion, arts and architecture, technology, economics, and social structures, that allowed them to flourish and become two of the most well-known ancient civilizations.
Economically, these two civilizations both shared prosperous success in similar manners. One connection between Mesopotamia and Egypt is that they both manipulated their designated rivers to perform critical trade operations by using them as routes. They were able to communicated and send goods with other civilizations in a farther location via the river system. Also, these two civilizations were very productive in the agricultural field due to the strategically created irrigation systems that provided water to their fertile soils to provide lush vegetations in Nile and Sumer. The one difference between Mesopotamia and Egypt in terms of economy is that the Nile government controlled most if not all of the trading monopoly, and they had their citizens pay substantial taxes.
Mesopotamia developed a form of writing known as cuneiform. Their writing evolved from pictures into signs. Mesopotamians used writing mainly for record keeping. They would put business transactions into writing and had a written code of law. They also had literature like The Epic of Gilgamesh. The Epic of Gilgamesh is about one of the earliest passions of man, the search for eternal life. The Mesopotamians had a school for writing because they wanted trained scribes for
Agriculture was central to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia; it was the basis of both their economies. While both civilizations utilized agriculture in similar fashions, ancient Egypt had a more stable efficient system due to geographic location and resources, therefore relishing in a more positive economy. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers surrounding Mesopotamia were harsh, unpredictable, and prone to erratic flooding, causing
Society in Mesopotamia and Egypt was similar based on location and economy, but environmental factors made Mesopotamian society less stable than that of Egypt. First, both civilizations depended on the water sources of their respective rivers for agriculture, which was a large part of their economy. Both civilizations had fertile soil from the silt that was deposited by the floods. Second, a lack of natural barriers in Mesopotamia contrasts with the many natural barriers present in Egypt, which made Mesopotamia
While describing the cultural among the people of Mesopotamia and Egypt, I learned the differences and similarities in culture. The birth of Mesopotamian Civilization began in c. 3000 B.C.E., in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers of Southwest Asia. Mesopotamia is a Greek word and it means ‘between the rivers.’ In contrast, the birth of Egyptian Civilization began in c. 3100 B.C.E., in a valley of the Nile River in Northeastern Africa. Egypt is a Greek word and it means ‘House of the Spirit of Ptah.’ Since there are several categories in the cultures of the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians, I decided to narrows it to three categories: Religion, Writing, and Geography. The three categories will present the basis to compare cultural differences and similarities.
The earliest civilization in Asia arose around 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia meaning "land between the rivers" because of its convenient location between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This river valley region's rich soil and access to waterways made early civilization thrive on agriculture and trade. Although much has changed since its beginnings, the Mesopotamian River Valley has continued to grow and develop as a civilization to this day. During the time period 2000 BCE to present, Mesopotamia has changed geographically, religiously, and economically, but the rich resource of the Tigris and the Euphrates river has stayed the same.
Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt both had a similar climate. They are located in river valleys or areas of flat land that has a river running through it. Yearly it would flood and once the water receded, it would leave behind fertile soil that was great for planting.The rivers were used for food, soil, water, and even transportation.
Ancient Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of civilization,because the citizens of this culture developed the government,agriculture,language,religion,
The Red Sea was to the east in Egypt as well. The Nile River had predictable flood patterns, creating a very fertile soil and rich agriculture in Egypt. Religion in Egypt was a polytheistic system. Rituals were a large party of society. Many different spiritual forces were believed to be in control of the forces of nature.
The physical environments of Egypt and Mesopotamia do explain their cultural differences. Egyptians had natural barriers and fertile, predictable land, while Mesopotamians had unpredictable land and no protection from invaders. These key differences are the basis of the cultural differences between the two regions, and explain different parts of their culture, such as their outlook on life/afterlife and their rulers.
In the first civilization, both Mesopotamia and Egypt relied on a hunter-gatherer economic system, during that time, every country in the world strived on it. Mesopotamia had rich soil for agriculture, but experiences floods. For the Mesopotamians, these floods would destroy major cities, but for the Egyptians it would keep the soil rich all year long without the damage that the Mesopotamians had experienced.
Civilization is a word that cannot be used too loosely. How then, is civilization defined? It is difficult to define in one word or phrase because a complex society or “civilization” depends on many different aspects. There are characteristics of a civilization that are more essential than others, some of which may be more important to one group than to another. However, a definition for civilization can be narrowed down to a few fundamental aspects that are necessary for one to exist. For a complex society to exist, it must have means to provide for a growing population. Acquiring resources is vital for a civilization to flourish. Next, the earliest civilizations all seemed to
Modern civilization as we know it began as a group of shabby huts in the ancient region of Mesopotamia. Flowing from mountains in modern Turkey, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers created an environment favorable for settlement. Wandering groups of people happened to come upon this fertile land. The warm temperatures allowed a permanent civilization to begin.