Difference between ancient Egypt and Sumer civilizations free essay sample

Ancient civilizations arose all over the world. They had different kind of cultures. Two of the greatest civilizations that will be elaborated on this assignment are the Egypt Civilization and the Sumerian Civilization. Both civilizations had similarities, but also had their differences just like everything in life. They had similar beliefs on gods controlling everything in their lives. Also, these two civilizations were the first ones to make up a writing system. Even though both civilizations were the first, their writing was very different from each other. They had similar hierarchy and both invented important things that benefit us until today. Egypt and Sumerian civilizations had many things in common, but they also had some differences. Ancient Egypt Daily life in ancient Egypt revolved around the Nile and the fertile land along its banks. The yearly flooding of the Nile enriched the soil and brought good harvests and wealth to the land. We will write a custom essay sample on Difference between ancient Egypt and Sumer civilizations or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The people of ancient Egypt built mud brick homes in villages and in the country. They grew some of their own food and traded in the villages for the food and goods they could not produce. Most ancient Egyptians worked as field hands, farmers, craftsmen and scribes. A small group of people were nobles. Together, these different groups of people made up the population of ancient Egypt. Ancient Sumer The first civilization is thought to have arisen in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. In an area known as Sumeria, people built huts, raised cattle, and farmed for their food. They built huge temples (called ziggurats) and monuments in their cities. They were the first to gather in large city-states. Among these were Kish, Lagash, Ur, and Uruk. While both the Sumerians and the Egyptians chose to settle in fertile river plains and developed sophisticated agriculture, religion and political systems, there are also many differences between the two groups and the key features of their ways of life. Religion Sumerian religion was based around the worship of four live giving deities ‘â€Å"the god of heaven, the goddess of earth, the god of air and the god of water. In the Egyptian pantheon there were around 2000 recognized gods and goddesses. In Egypt the pharaoh was worshipped as a living god, but Sumerian society was not a theocracy. Death Another difference between the Sumerians and the Egyptians is the way they approached death and prepared for the afterlife. The Egyptians were reasonably well protected from attack and thus lived lives that embraced the future and they made grand preparations for their passage into the afterlife. In contrast the Sumerians were vulnerable to attack and lived a much more volatile existence. Their funerary rites were uncomplicated for their passage into the afterlife. Writing The Sumerians were one of the first peoples to develop a system of writing. Their writing system was called cuneiform and was named after the wedge shaped writing implement used. Unlike the Egyptians, the Sumer civilization wrote on clay tablets. The Egyptians developed hieroglyphics, which were a very different style of recording information and they also wrote on papyrus made from reeds, like the paper we use today. Papyrus was cheaper and easier to produce than clay tablets, which resulted in vast record keeping capabilities with the Egyptians. The differences in geography between the two civilizations led to the development of different writing technology. Technological Advances When comparing the technological advances of the two great civilizations Mesopotamia’s is more impressive. This is probably due to the fact that the surrounding environment of the Sumerians was harsher and more difficult to predict and manage. Egypt and Sumer civilizations invented important things that benefit us in today’s activities. Sumer civilization invented the  wheel. Used for transportation and helping them to get places faster. Also, it was used to move heavy things in an easier way. . Egypt civilization invented the sailboat. Used for transportation and trading on the Nile. Government Sumerian and Egyptian governments were quite different. Egyptian government tended to be more authoritarian with absolute power residing with the pharaoh; however in Sumer the city-state politics allowed for more input from nobles acting as councils.