Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Indus Valley Essay - 813 Words

Comparative Essay Throughout the history of Earth, there have been many fascinating developments, the most prominent being the first civilizations, Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. They had many similarities, such as characteristics of early civilizations and social structures, but they also had their differences. The most embossed differences included the divergent geography, prior belief, trade, relations with other civilizations, and politics. The earliest societies, such as Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt exhibiting indicator traits of civilization developed along the floodplains of great rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq, and the Nile in Egypt. People had settled in Mesopotamia by 7000 B.C. and the First Dynasty of Egyptian†¦show more content†¦Egypt and Mesopotamia were in contrast to one another in many ways. Egypt emphasized strong central authority, while Mesopotamian politics shifted more frequently over a substructure of regional city-states. They were also cu lturally different; Egypt developed in relative isolation, all foreigners were considered enemies while Mesopotamia was a multicultural society. Also, Egypt was well endowed with natural resources and far more self-sufficient than Mesopotamia. They used papyrus reeds growing in marshy areas to make sails, ropes, and a kind of paper. Hunters pursued the abundant wild animals and birds in the marshes. Egypts art and architecture are very different from Mesopotamia. From pyramids to temples, rigid pharaohs to flowing art of Amarna, Egypts style was totally different from Mesopotamias. Mesopotamian art focused on less monumental structures. In Mesopotamia, women lost social standing and freedoms in societies where agriculture superseded hunting and gathering; whereas in Egypt, they are depicted with dignity and respect, could own properties, and inheritance from their parents was possible. Both civilizations traded differently but Mesopotamia was more productive due to technological ad vance. Egypt’s interests abroad focused on maintain access to valuable resources rather than acquiring territory. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt were ruled by kings,Show MoreRelatedMesopotamia, Egypt, And The Indus River Valley901 Words   |  4 PagesMesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus River Valley were all civilizations situated near rivers. In Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers rose annually but were prone to flooding. In Egypt, on the other hand, the Nile River had predictable flooding and was and still is the longest river in the world. It was also easy to traverse due to southern wind patterns and northern currents. In the Indus Valley, people lived near the Indus River, hence the name. Also, they were isolated, surrounded by theRead MoreUrbanization Of Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt And The Indus Valley1785 Words   |  8 Pagesadept different forms of urbanization near river valleys. 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They had a huge impact in Egyptian, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley civilizations. Some of the impacts were things such as culture, agriculture, religion, social classes/hierarchies, gender roles, and specialization of labor. Throughout all of these influences, it is seen that none of these societies were isolated from each other. One way pastoral nomads lived a different lifestyle than transhumant herders was throughRead MoreHow Do The Neolithic And Paleolithic Revolutions Differ?1657 Words   |  7 Pagessuccessful production of food allowed them to create the city-states, which essentially was a suburban area, surrounded by a large city. Each city-state was an independent kingdom with a ruling power dominated by a main central government for all of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamian life was also steadily advancing, showing labor specialization, and producing achievements like Hammurabi’s Code or Hieroglyphics. 6. For what purpose was writing developed? The Sumerians did not develop writing to keep historyRead More The Harrapan Civilization Essay617 Words   |  3 PagesThe Harrapan Civilization The Indus Valley, or Harrapan, civilization was discovered in 1920-21 when engraved seals were discovered near present-day Sahiwal in Pakistani Punjab at a place called Harappa. Excavations at Mohenjodaro in Sind discovered the buried remains of a civilization with a pictographic script. The Harappans first settled sites along the Indus River. This civilization extended to the Yamuna along the bed of the river Ghaggar in Rajhastan, Gujrat and up to the mouths of the riversRead MoreComparing Religious And Political Authority Of Early Civilizations1352 Words   |  6 Pagesscience, as well as industry and government has been attained. This paper compares civilization in the line of authority, both in religious and political spheres among the three groups; Mesopotamia, Nile in Egypt and Indus Valley (Mahenjodaro and Harrapa) in India. Mesopotamia Political organization The name Mesopotamia is derived from a Greek word that means the land between two rivers identified as Euphrates and Tigris in this case. Much of it is contained in the present day Iraq and is considered