Egyptian and Sumerian Empires
The Egyptian and Sumerian empires both have obvious similarities and differences concerning economic, social, and political aspects. Egypt is situated on the Nile River and had three distinct kingdoms. The weather was hot and dry, it is also located by modern day Libya and Sudan. The Sumerian empire is located in the southernmost part of mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The weather, like Egypt is hot and dry.
Both the Sumerian and Egyptian empires relied heavily on farming as a source of income. Egypt depended on the “Gift of the Nile”, which was yearly flooding that brought fertile soil. The farmable soil made an agricultural society possible. Major crops at that time were barley, wheat,
…show more content…
garlic, grapes and figs. In the Sumerian Empire although farming was an important part, trade influenced their economy greatly as well. Due to the easy access to both the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, major innovations were formed, including the wheel and the sail. Similarly, Sumerians grew wheat, barley, and garlic; as well as lentils, beans, and onions. Sumerians and Egyptians had similar beliefs.
Both empires practiced polytheism. In Egypt, there were hundreds of gods and goddesses, each representing different things. There were major gods and goddesses’ such as Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Ra. Although they all have great importance, there is no one god/goddess that possess more power than the other. Regarding religious beliefs, the Egyptians also valued the afterlife. They made a point to embalm and “mummify” human remains. Additionally, royalty and nobles were buried with treasures and in a pyramid. Pyramids are used as burial sites, some of the tombs found were ornate and decorated with intricate detail. They believed the Book of the Dead explained how to make it to the afterlife. It is obvious that the Egyptians regarded the afterlife with utmost respect. Sumerians were polytheistic too, but in contrast to Egyptian beliefs, there were gods/goddesses assigned to each city state. Sumerians did not acknowledge the afterlife. Another obvious distinction between the two societies were the differences in written communication. Egyptians used hieroglyphics, using pictograms which uses symbols to represent words or actions. Sumerians used cuneiform, a method of writing using varying triangles to depict words. Cuneiform was developed in the Sumerian Empire but was adopted and used throughout all of
Mesopotamia. Regarding politics, both empires were monarchies. The Sumerians were ruled by kings. There was a king for each city state, unlike Egypt, there was no centralized ruler. In Egypt, pharaohs ruled. The major difference between kings and pharaohs were that pharaohs believed that they either were gods or were the only ones that could communicate with them. This is important because pharaohs were not only political leaders but were a main focus in religious ceremonies; joining two of the most important aspects of Egyptian society. Another major difference was that Egypt both acknowledged and accepted female leaders. Many traits from Egyptian society resemble the Sumerian society. Although there are many differences, the similarities are quite striking. It is surprising that for societies with substandard use of communication can mirror major societal roles but be in completely different river valleys.
Since people feared pharaohs, they respected them. For instance, the passage in Document 5 states that wokers built large pyramids to serve their pharaohs inside tombs. The text states, "Pharaohs were burried with their possessions." In addition, some people (Sumerians Akkadians) practiced polytheism, the worship of gods. Based on the document, "They believed that keeping the gods happy was the key to their own happiness and prosperity. On the other hand, if the gods were angry, they might bring suffering and disaster." In additon, previously stated, Egypt and Mesopotamia develoved into successful civilizations by effectively using the resources that surrounded them to solve problems and live happily. The text states, "Sumerians built huge temples called ziggurats. They believed these temples linked Earth with the heavens and linked people with the gods." This shows that they use dtheir resources to build ziggurats for their own goods so that the gods can give them happiness and prosperity instead of bringing them suffering and disaster. Therefore, Egyptians' religion and beliefs would help develop Egypt and Mesopotamia into successful
I can infer that the Egyptians and the Mesopotamians were similar in the way that they had a written language, both of them were polytheistic, and they both built pyramid type things. The differences between the Egyptians and the Mesopotamians were their different views on what happens to you in the afterlife and how to bury people after they die.
The Cosmopolitan Middle East consists of both Mesopotamia and Egypt, but when Mesopotamia was split into two zones, Babylonia conquered the south, while Assyria conquered the north. The Hittites, one of the states that came to Mesopotamia, they made good use of the copper, silver, and iron, to increase commerce with other states. The Hyksos, a strong foreign group who had lot of strength and intelligence, took over the kingdom of Egypt and changed Egypt into an aggressive state. But it was also a time of change with many rulers who held the throne of New Kingdom Egypt, such as Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, and Ramesses II. Traveling and communication were necessities in international trading because metal was needed amongst different cities.
The locations of both of these civilizations has guided them through survival and existence. Ancient Egypt was located near the Nile River, which produced a fertile area in the middle of a desert. The people relied on this sector for two effects, which were food and water and the environment
The main differences between Sumerian and Egyptian geography is the flooding of the rivers and invasions they suffered. Sumer was a Mesopotamia, a land between two rivers. The two rivers were the Tigris and Euphrates River. Egypt had only one river, the Nile River. It was usual to rivers flood; the Tigris and Euphrates had very unpredictable flooding. Different from these rivers the Nile was very much predictable. Flooding in Sumer caused a lot of death, so people would start building their houses further from the rivers and they would also build irrigation ditches. However, in Egypt the river wasn’t a bad thing. Sumer suffered many invasions; to prevent this they made armies and built walls around the cities. Egypt suffered any invasions because of its location,
Egypt and Mesopotamia; two different civilizations that were similar in some ways, as well as different. They had their difference of their geographical location, as well as their different aspects of life. Even though they had their different life aspects, they had also had several similarities between each other.
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 governed harmonic life style of Egypt led this society to be more politically unified; whereas, Mesopotamia’s government led to many different ways of structure, thus creating a less unified society.
The Egyptian and Mesopotamian religion and society were similar, but their government/leadership was different. Religion in Egypt and Mesopotamia were very similar because both faiths were polytheistic and had priestly authority. Both cultures had powerful priests, both had a belief of an afterlife, and religion was part of their daily lives. Both societies had similar rigid social classes, relied on slavery; both also had a religion which played an important role in their daily lives. Although, their societies were very common, they still had some differences in government. The Egypt, the government was a theocracy, whereas the government in Mesopotamia was run by a monarchy. Despite their similarities, the differences between these two civilizations were most likely a result of unique geographical and topographical conditions.
Before the beginning of history, people from across the land gradually developed numerous cultures, each unique in some ways while the same time having features in common. Mesopotamia and Egypt are important to the history of the world because of religious, social, political and economic development. Mesopotamia was the first civilization, which was around 3000 B.C., and all other countries evolved from it. Mesopotamia emerged from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The soil was rich and agriculture was plentiful. The Semitic nomads occupied the land around Akkad. The Sumerians established the city-states. Villages became urban centers. Because of the formation of the city-states everything flourished. However, Mesopotamian agriculture lacked stones; therefore mud brick became their major building block. Their diet consisted of fish from the rivers. The rivers were flooded frequently destroyed the cities. Mesopotamians made their living from crops and pottery.
Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and Greece were all historical civilizations that made history the way it is today. The three civilizations differed in many different ways, but they were also quite similar in other aspects. The focus of survival, beliefs, daily life, and many other focuses connect the three civilizations.
Egypt is situated in the Nile valley in the north east of Africa. Ancient Egypt included two regions a southern region, and northern region. The southern region is called Upper Egypt, and the northern region was called Lower Egypt. The life around Ancient Egypt centers on the Nile River and the fertile land around the banks of the river. Farmers created an irrigation system to control the water flow, so the crops can grow in both the rainy and dry seasons. This irrigation system made a surplus in crops.
Religion was a major part of Ancient Egyptians’ lives. Their faith was so engrained in them that it was more of a lifestyle than a set of beliefs. The Egyptians practiced polytheism, or the worship of many gods, and they believed that their pharaoh was a god on Earth (Doc 3). The people worshipped the pharaoh and gave him all respect and power. They believed that their two main goals in life were to keep the pharaoh and the other gods happy and to live a good life so that they may enjoy a happy life after death. Their shared faith strengthened their society because everyone was working toward the same goal. Groups were not divided based on what god they worshipped. Instead, the fact that every person lived to please the same gods and wished to go to the same afterlife gave them something in common and brought them together as a community. Sumerians also practiced polytheism and believed that their priests were connected to the gods. The people thought it was their responsibility to keep the gods happy, and believed that if the gods were pleased, they would allow their people to be content as well (Doc 6). Because of their desire to please the gods, Sumerians performed every task to the best of their ability. For example, they invested lots of time and money into their ziggurats, or temples, because they only wanted to give their best to the gods. The Sumerians’ devotion to every task ensured that everything was done well and helped their civilization
Of the first civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt left behind the most widely available documented look at the past (92). Interestingly enough, the basis for societal rank was comparable between these two civilizations. But despite similarities in social stratification, Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilization had very dissimilar views on life and the afterlife.
The factors of irrigation, inherent topography, and useful bronze-age technical innovations paved the way for the agricultural revolution to occur in the land of Sumer and Akkad. The people of the Tigris and the Euphrates basin, the ancient Sumerians, using the fertile land and the abundant water supply of the area, developed sophisticated irrigation systems and created what was probably the first cereal agriculture. This historical factor resulted in an excess of production of cereals, dates, and other commodities. The consequence of excess is the emergence of a productive peasant agricultural system and a redistributive economy that fuels the progress of civilization.
Providing extremely fertile soil is one, if not the most important, roles the Nile River played in the life of the ancient Egyptians. By providing fertile soil, the Nile made it easy for cities and civilizations to grow alongside the banks of the river. This fertile soil comes from the annual flooding of the Nile. This replenishes the top soil with silt deposits that hold much needed nutrients for crops to grow. Ancient Egyptians developed highly complex irrigation methods to maximize the effect of the Nile waters. When the Nile overflows in mid summer, Egyptians divert the waters through the use of canals and dams. As the water seeped into the farm land, rich deposits of silt ensured a good harvest for the year. This allows the civilizations of Egyptians to grow enough food to feed the community. Without the annual flooding of the Nile, Egyptians would have a very difficult time growing necessary amount food to sustain life. Most of the land in the Egyptian nation is dry desert. Very little rain falls year round here. The river provides the needed water to grow the crops as well as provide drinking water for the people. Th...