The Main Features Of Egyptian And Mesopotamian Civilizations

The /Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations developed many differences. The geography, culture, and religion are all different and play a huge role in history.

Egypt and Mesopotamia have both similarities and differences, throughout both of these civilizations from back to 3,500 B.C. The political and social structures in these civilizations were different and the same in their own way. The political differences between Egypt and Mesopotamia included hierarchy power, land control, and centralized government. The similarities between both civilizations are social class, male patriarchy, and kings.

Mesopotamian and Egyptian cities were very different. Mesopotamian city was much more urban than Egypt and they had their own independent ruler. Egypt did not have their own independent ruler. Egypt’s cities had religious homes that lead to the population’s center. Egypt was larger than Mesopotamia and had a larger population. Mesopotamia was protected by a wall and Egypt was not. Mesopotamian and Egyptian cities were very different.

When you look back in history to the development and the contributions of both the Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations, you see that there was a lot accomplished, as well as a lot created. The earliest forms of writing developed in Mesopotamia, while Egypt was referred to the “Gift of the Nile” by traveler Herodotus (McKay,42). Development of cities was another major marker, especially in the “old world”, of how people eventually determined civilizations and what they represented. According to McKay, civilizations were determined by people who considered themselves more “civilized”, urban people mostly. Made up of cities, written rules of law, and social justice codes, Mesopotamia and Egypt would develop into two of the largest civilizations in history.

Egypt developed around the Nile River, while Mesopotamia developed between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Egypt and Mesopotamia grew into complex civilizations. Politically, both Egypt and Mesopotamia had a government with one main ruler, but Egypt had a centralized government with a pharaoh, while Mesopotamia had a decentralized government with a king. Socially, both civilizations were patriarchal, but Egypt was more lenient towards women while Mesopotamia was stricter. The political and social structures of Egypt and Mesopotamia both similarities and differences.

Known as one of the earliest civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt both share set amounts of similarities along with a share of striking distinctions. Environmentally, these two civilizations were formed in similar surroundings, yet their weather patterns show distinctions. Politically, both governments derived from a monarch, yet their laws and punishments distinguished the two’s court systems. Economically, they both shared prosperous success in similar manners. Socially, although the two lands followed a hierarchy, the value of women contrasted. Culturally, they both believed in a higher order of creation; however, their views of them were polar opposites. Intellectually, these two societies developed skilled abilities and creations that

What similarities and differences did Egypt and Mesopotamia have and why was Egypt more politically unified than its neighbor, Mesopotamia? I think in order to answer these questions it is important to look at how both societies lived. Egypt and Mesopotamia were two civilizations existing during the time period of 2000-1200 BCE.(text, 97) These civilizations were shaped by their environment, involved with trade, and faced changes in government after the 100 year drought; however, they differed in that Egypt was shaped by the Nile, traded goods for goods and changed their outlook on the pharaoh who was ruler of all; whereas, Mesopotamia was shaped by the Tigris and Euphrates, traded money for goods, and had a ruler over rulers. The

Thousands of years ago, in separate river valleys, two large settlements met the requirements needed to become two of the four first civilizations, and Egypt and Mesopotamia were formed. They were similar, as they both met the criteria to become a civilization, but they were also different, because geographic factors affected their lives differently. Three reasons why the society, government, and culture of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia were similar and different are: first, while both civilizations were located in a river valley, geographic conditions made sustaining society in Mesopotamia more difficult than in Ancient Egypt. Second, Mesopotamia and Egypt had effective bureaucracies, but the many sustained invasions throughout Ancient Mesopotamian history made the state less stable than Egypt. Lastly, although both religions were polytheistic, unpredictable war and flooding made Mesopotamian culture pessimistic, while Egyptian culture reflected Egypt’s stability.

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.

Throughout history, we have seen the rise and fall of numerous civilizations. Two prominent ancient civilizations that had a lasting effect on the future are Mesopotamia and Egypt. Ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt developed side by side between starting in 3000 B.C.E. But, apart from their neighboring surroundings, both civilizations had various similarities and differences that led to the demise of each one. Specifically, the most notable similarities and differences between Mesopotamia and Egypt is their economy because both civilizations depended on agriculture, the citizens were required to pay taxes, and in contrast, Egypt economy was governed by states while mesopotamia was a private enterprise.

Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies are similar because they share the same concept of having a single ruler. The differences are that in Egyptian society the political rule is a theocracy and in Mesopotamian societies it is a monarchy. They are both divided into social classes. We remember from the earlier that the major difference is being that women in Egyptian societies have more rights than those in Mesopotamian societies. Egyptian civilization was a dynasty and passed down the power to the son, whereas Mesopotamia was just a monarchy didn’t necessarily pass down the power to the son.

Comparing Egypt and Mesopotamia, there are plenty of similarities and difference between them in terms of geography, culture and economics. The similarities and differences in geography between Mesopotamia and Egypt had a great impact on their civilizations and way of livings. Because of different geography, different degrees of exposure to outside invasion and influence, and different prior beliefs, Egypt and Mesopotamia were in contrast to one another in many ways.

As both civilizations existed within a close time period of one another, and are commonly studied together, it is fairly easy to observe the similarities between Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures. On the contrary, it is also quite simple to see the differences between these two ancient civilizations, despite the fact that the nearly co-existed. One example that showcases the similarities between these civilizations is seen when looking focusedly at each from an environmental standpoint. It is clear they hold twin like qualities in that both were located near desert expanses.

The Connections and Disconnections between Mesopotamia and Egypt Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia differ in location, climate and geography, although greatly affected the world. The two civilizations prospered in certain categories of ancient life and failed at others. Both learned what worked by performing a certain action and what could be changed. These civilizations can easily be compared since they started by a river, thrived because of agriculture and started around the same time period. Three specific categories Egypt and Mesopotamia can be associated and contrasted would be their geography, social classes and religious beliefs.

Although Mesopotamia was much larger than Egypt they both shared some similar geographical aspects. Mesopotamia stood for “the land between the rivers”. Since they received very little rainfall the Tigris and Euphrates rivers brought fresh water to their civilization. They then learned that they could harness to water and make it easier to access in their kingdom by building irrigation systems. Once they built the irrigation systems their population increased which attracted more foreigners. Egypt also shared an alike geography with Mesopotamia since they were both near a river that provided for their kingdoms. Since Mesopotamia was near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers they were more prone to more attacks from enemies to seize their land. Whereas