Egypt And Mayans Similarities

Ancient Maya, stretching from southern Mexico into northern Central America, and ancient Egypt, located in the northeast corner of Africa, shared a number of similar features and differences. The Mayan civilization began at about 2600 B.C - 1800 B.C. and was at its peak around A.D.250 - 900. The Egypt civilization arose about 4,000 - 3,500 B.C. and was at its peak during the New Kingdom; 1550 B.C. Both cultures have significant features, Egypt has the great river Nile and Maya has successful farming methods. Although the Egyptian and the Mayan culture share similarities in religion, social structure and achievements, there are also differences between them.
Like many cultures, religion is very important in their daily lives. Both of the Mayan and Egyptian were polytheistic, or believed in many gods. The Egyptian honored their Pharaohs as gods who intervene on behalf of the higher gods, like earth and sun gods. They honored their gods by offering goods. Unlike the Egyptians, the Mayans didn’t have a priestly caste because they believed that only their kings can

intervene on behalf of the people. Although the Egyptian’s show their gratitude by giving goods, the Mayans believed that human blood satisfies the gods and so human sacrifices often occurs.
Social structure is the social organization of a society constituting an integrated whole (Merriam Webster).

This means that the people in a society are put into groups of characteristics or relationships. For example, most social structures consist of having peasants or slaves on the bottom like the Mayans and Egyptians. On the top of the social pyramid, both cultures have their king or Pharaoh. Under the Egyptian Pharaoh, it is usually government officials like nobles and priests. After that are the soldiers, scribes, merchants, artisans, and farmers. Of course the slaves and servants are on the bottom. The Mayan king is followed by chosen people from the noble class, priesthood; astronomers and astrologers, merchants and traders, and finally peasants; farmers. The only difference is that the Mayans have no slaves and the top of the pyramid of the Maya is their king, while of Egypt it’s their

Pharaoh.

The Maya and Egypt had many significant achievements that are even used today. Their use of hieroglyphs consist of pictographs representing words or concepts (Ancient Egyptian vs. Mayan Culture). They created calendar systems. The Egypt created their calendar around the regular flooding of the Nile River, and the cycles of flooding prompted the creation of complex calendar systems (Ancient Egyptian vs. Mayan Culture). The Maya, however, developed a calendar system that included a 260-day sacred year and a 365-day secular year. Both cultures built large pyramids, but differentiating in the way it was built and the reason it what built for. The Mayan built a pyramid with a rectangular shape on the top for human sacrifices. While the Egyptians built triangular shape top pyramids as tombs for their Pharaohs.
In conclusion, religion, social structure and achievements, were very significant features that the Mayans and Egyptians shared. Although there were more similarities like in hieroglyphics, calendars, social pyramids, etc., each were made for different reasons. For example, with pyramids. Even if they were constructed differently they still had an important purpose for building it. In a way, both cultures were a benefit even today. People today can learn that even if their culture have the same ideas they are designed to make an effect.