Contrasting Civilizations: Mesopotamia vs. Egypt

1. Geography and Impacts Mesopotamia, Tigris and Euphrates Egypt, The Valley of the Nile Gentle predictable floods=positive and creative outlook Arid climate=efficient food storage Easily navigable river=political/cultural unity Deserts, cataracts=degree of isolation Abundance of stone=permanent architecture Secure location=P,E,R market centers Mostly agricultural villages Sustainable agriculture=continuity of civilization • Tigris’ violent flooding= pessimism, fear of disaster • Numerous tributaries=scattered city states=disunity and warfare • Areas of swamp and marsh=irrigation used for drainage • Lack of stone=reed and clay-brick structures • Need for protection=mostly urban environment • Deforestation and ecological deterioration

2. Social/Economic M E Pharaoh and royal family, high priests, palace officials Relatively open society, skill + ambition=social mobility Peasants=serfs, little land ownership; subject to draft for military and labor gangs Gender roles= patriarchal but afforded women greater opportunities than Meso. Legal equals, own property, sell land, own wills, sign own marriage contracts, initiate own divorce Royal women=significant power Not veiled, more equal partners • Nobility=king’s family, high priests, royal officials • Clients=free citizens working for nobility • Commoners=free land-owning citizens • Slaves • Gender roles=patriarchal • Women divided into 2: • Respectable under protection and sexual control by one man, veiled • Nonrespectable = prostitutes, slaves=forbidden to be veiled • Codified law enforced patriarchy=unquestionable authority of men, regulation of female sexuality

3. M Political Patterns E • City-states with elected war chiefs evolving to kings • Frequent warring among themselves • Weakened by environmental degradation led to conquest by outsiders • Series of empires some formed by indigenous groups, some by invaders • Growth of legal coded=Hammurabi’s Code=codified law • God-king or Pharaoh absolute ruler=divine right=no need for codified written law • Unified early under one power • Hereditary centralized Monarch • Long series of family dynasties

4. M Religious Patterns E • Hierarchy of greater and lesser deities according to function • Powerful and immortal deities but humanlike (anthropomorphic) in emotions and habits • Basis of later beliefs and tales-creation stories, humans as images of gods, Garden of Eden, flood • Influential priesthood • Feared gods/afterlife due to chaotic/disorderly worldview and unpredictable river flooding • Pharaoh as deity in human form, proving gods cared for people • Belief in afterlife, reflecting cyclical nature of seasons and floods; hopeful outlook, constant rebirth of sun and predictable river flooding 2x annually=assured life prevail over death • Great pyramids as symbol of eternal afterlife and Pharaoh’s spiritual and temporal power • Concept of monotheism in (brief) cult of Sun god (Amon-Ra)

5. Interactions/Technology • Egyptian agriculture relied on wheat and barley adopted from Mesopotamia, as well as gourds, water-melon, domesticated donkeys, and cattle from Sudan • Some scholars argue that Egypt’s step pyramids and writing were inspired by Mesopotamian models • Practice of “divine kingship” most likely derived from traditions in central or eastern Sudan • Indo-European influenced both civilizations as they migrated into region • Domesticated horse, chariot technology=better and well prepared armies • Invasion of the Hyksos into Egypt=adoption of new armor, bows, daggers, swords; improved methods of spinning and weaving; new musical instruments, and olive and pomegranate trees

6. Think about… • In what ways did Mesopotamia and Egyptian civilizations differ from each other? • In which civilization would you rather have lived? Why?