AKS.30.b : Mesopotamia and Other Civilizations
The first civilization that was created was called Sumer.
The surrounding deserts and the lack of natural barriers attracted outsiders to Mesopotamia so it made the Sumerians vulnerable to attack.
| Mesopotamia | Egypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Geography | - Land Between Rivers- Lacks natural barriers for protectionUnpredicted flooding in Euphrates and Tigris | Egypt is bordered by deserts on the east and south, mountains to the south, and sea to the northThe wind blows from north to south and the Nile flows from south to northThe Nile river flooded so predictably that the Egyptians designed their calendar around it |
| Religion-What was their belief system? | Polytheistic: Believed in many gods.The ziggurat was a temple where they performed daily rituals. | Polytheistic (2000 Gods)Pyramids built as tombsMummification |
| Achievements | Wheel, Sail, Plow, Bronze, Metalwork, Cuneiform | CalendarAstronomy Hieroglyphics |
| Politics-Type of government, laws | City States- like independent countriesTheocracy- Religious GovernmentKing Hammurabi created the first legal code.The code had 282 laws created from past laws combined. | TheocracyPharaohs-Controlled all aspects of life.Pyramids were a symbol of power and the bigger the pyramid was, the more power they had. |
| Economics | Based on farming, trade, and industryTraveled by land to the west and sea to the south | Economy was based on farming, industry, and trade. |
| Social Structure | -Top of the society were priests and then kings. They ran the government and led the army-Middle were skilled workers, like merchants.-At the bottom were farmers and slaves. | Pharaoh- The ruler of egypt who acted as a godNobles and Priests- Highest officials that work under the pharaoh.Scribes- Great knowledge of reading and writing, Their job was to write and copy hieroglyphs and heretic scripts.Merchants and Craftspeople- They were middle class people who lived in the villages comfortably, but not wealthy.Peasants and servants- The Peasants and servants farmed on the land of the estated. They paid taxes in the form of crops to the Pharaoh. They work on building projects such as the pyramids. |