Ap History Compare and Contrast Essay Egypt and Mesopotamia

Ethan Sua 10/16/10 Mr. McGrath AP World History A Compare and Contrast Essay of Egypt and Mesopotamia Egypt and Mesopotamia developed different and similar political and religious civilizations. Mesopotamian civilizations such as the Sumerians, the Akkadian kingdom, the Assyrian empire and the Babylonian city-state, were all too dependent on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Egypt’s natural isolation and material self-sufficiency fostered a unique culture that for long periods had relatively little to do with other civilizations. Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt.†¦show more content†¦In ancient Egypt, legendary King Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt into one nation that lasted with continuity of culture from 3,100-1070 B. C. E. with thirty dynasties. Unlike Mesopotamian kings, the Egyptian king was represented as Horus and as the son of Re, and fit into the pattern of the dead returni ng to life and the climatic renewing life of the sun-god. No written law code was developed in Egypt. Egypt was substantially more self-sufficient than Mesopotamia with copper and turquoise. The pharaoh governed the country through a large efficient bureaucracy. In highly urbanized Mesopotamia, central powers, and the use of written records allowed certain groups to obtain mass amounts of wealth. Male domination of the position of a scribe- an administrator or scholar charged by the temple or palace with reading and writing tasks- further complicates efforts to reconstruct the lives of women. Women were able to: own property, maintain control of their dowry, and even engage in trade but men monopolized political life. The females also worked outside the home in textile factories, breweries or as prostitutes, tavern keepers, bakers, or fortune tellers. Inside the home women wove baskets,Show MoreRelatedAp World History Compare and Contrast Essay Egypt vs. Mesopotamia632 Words   |  3 Pagesfor agricultural production. 2 of the greatest river-valley civilizations were Mesopotamia and Egypt. All though they both supported having a patriarchal leader or king, Egypt had a strong, centralized government, whereas Mesopotamia was decentralized, and built based on small city-states operating independently. In both societies, the patriarchal leaders were influenced by religion tremendously. For example, in Egypt, all the citizens believed that not only did their pharoah have â€Å"powers†, butRead MoreWhat Aspects Of Human Life Remain The Same Across All Three Groups2974 Words   |  12 Pagestransformation from hunting and gathering to agriculture probably occur? How did it spread? The change came when people first discovered how to cultivate crops and to domesticate animals. This was the most significant single development in human history and it happened within the Stone Age. 7. What were the most significant positive and negative effects of the agricultural transition on human society? The negative is farming was long an labor-intensive and the positive was support of a larger populationRead MoreArt History7818 Words   |  32 Pagescivilization back any further #61607; All started around same time #61607; Alls started independently #61607; Mesopotamia Ââ€" present day Iraq • Earliest Cradle • Around 4,000BC #61607; Egypt • Around 3,000BC #61607; Southern India • Around 3,000BC #61607; China • Around 2,800BC • Composed of two separated and distinct cradles of civilization • Chapter 2 Ââ€" Egyptian Art o Egypt Ââ€" Latin named coined by Romans o Around 2,800-2,200BC o Originally divided into tow separated kingdoms #61607;