Part 1
Respond to each of the following questions. Be sure to provide information about
both of your chosen civilizations in each response. Your responses should all be in
complete sentences and should follow conventional guidelines for spelling,
grammar, and punctuation. Use your textbook and your notes to help you answer
the questions.
Compare Geography
1. In what present-day countries can the sites of your civilizations be found?
2. What is the present-day name of the river(s) around which your chosen
civilizations were based?
3. What is the climate today in the region of the ancient civilization?
4. How did the people of the civilizations use the river?
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5. How did the people of the civilizations deal with flooding of the river?
Compare Society
6. What type of government did each civilization have? How was power passed
through generations?
7. What was the social structure in each of the civilizations?
8. What technological advancements were created by each civilization?
Compare Religion
9. What religions did people in each civilization practice? Did any other religions
emerge in either region?
10.What relationship did the government have with religion?
Part 2
Develop your own question about these two civilizations. This should be information
that is not found in your textbook.
Once you have a question identified, set about trying to answer it. You should use
credible outside sources to locate the answer.
When you do your research, you may decide to use internet resources. Please use
the Website Evaluation Checklist to judge the quality of each website. Ask your
teacher if you have any questions about the checklist or a website.
Write your original question here:
Provide the answer to your original question here. Your answer should contain
information about both of your chosen civilizations. Use complete sentences.
Provide a citation for your source(s) here. Use the APA Style: Citing Sources and
Formatting guide from the lesson to help you
Compare Geography:
1. The sites of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia can be found in present-day Egypt and Iraq, respectively.
2. Egypt was based around the Nile River, while Mesopotamia was based around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
3. The climate in ancient Egypt is arid, with minimal rainfall, while Mesopotamia's climate is arid with hot summers and occasional floods in the winter.
4. Both civilizations used the rivers for agriculture, transportation, and as a source of freshwater.
Compare Society:
6. Egypt had a centralized government ruled by a pharaoh with power passed down through royal bloodlines. Mesopotamia had diverse political systems with city-states ruled by kings, with power passed down within ruling families.
7. In Egypt, the social structure was stratified, with the pharaoh and nobility at the top and peasants and slaves at the bottom. In Mesopotamia, there was also a hierarchical structure with more mobility between classes.
8. Both civilizations made advancements in architecture, medicine, mathematics, and writing.
Compare Religion:
9. Ancient Egypt practiced a polytheistic religion centered around numerous gods and an afterlife. Mesopotamia also practiced polytheism with different gods and believed in demons. Both civilizations had instances of other religions emerging.
10. In both civilizations, the government had a close relationship with religion, with the pharaoh and king playing religious roles and the state using religious beliefs to legitimize their rule.
Original Question: How did the trade networks of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia impact their civilizations?
Answer: The trade networks of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia had a significant impact on their civilizations. Both had access to valuable resources through trade, such as gold, timber, and spices. This exchange of goods enriched their economies and facilitated cultural exchanges and the spread of ideas and technologies. Trade also fostered diplomatic ties and the exchange of knowledge.
Citation: Nemet-Nejat, Karen Rhea. "Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia." Indiana University Press, 1998.
Compare Geography:
1. The sites of my chosen civilizations, ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, can be found in present-day countries such as Egypt and Iraq.
2. The ancient civilization of Egypt was based around the Nile River, while Mesopotamia was based around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
3. The climate today in the region of ancient Egypt is mostly arid, with desert temperatures and minimal rainfall. In Mesopotamia, the climate is also arid, but summers can be extremely hot with occasional floods during the winter.
4. The people of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia used the rivers for various purposes, including irrigation for agriculture, transportation, and as a source of freshwater.
5. The people of ancient Egypt relied on the annual flooding of the Nile River for their agricultural practices. They developed a system of irrigation canals and dams to control the floods and make use of the fertile soil left behind. In Mesopotamia, the people also utilized irrigation canals, but they had to deal with more unpredictable and destructive floods. They built extensive levee systems to protect their cities and farmlands from flooding.
Compare Society:
6. Ancient Egypt had a centralized government ruled by a pharaoh who had absolute power and was considered a divine figure. Power in Egypt was typically passed down through royal bloodlines. Mesopotamia, on the other hand, had more diverse and fragmented political systems, with city-states ruled by kings. Power was usually passed down within the ruling families, but there were frequent power struggles and shifts in leadership.
7. In ancient Egypt, the social structure was highly stratified. At the top were the pharaoh and his family, followed by the nobility, priests, scribes, and skilled artisans. At the bottom were the peasants and slaves. In Mesopotamia, the social structure was also hierarchical, but there was more mobility between classes. The kings and ruling elites occupied the top positions, followed by free citizens, merchants, and farmers, with slaves at the bottom.
8. Both ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia made significant technological advancements. In Egypt, they developed advanced techniques in architecture, such as the construction of pyramids and temples. They also had advances in medicine, mathematics, and engineering, including the development of a written script called hieroglyphics. In Mesopotamia, they were known for their innovations in agriculture, including irrigation systems and the use of the plow. They also developed a writing system called cuneiform and made advancements in mathematics and astronomy.
Compare Religion:
9. The people of ancient Egypt practiced a polytheistic religion centered around the worship of numerous gods and goddesses, such as Ra, Osiris, and Isis. They believed in an afterlife and mummification played a significant role in their religious practices. In Mesopotamia, the people also practiced a polytheistic religion but with different gods and goddesses, such as Enlil, Marduk, and Ishtar. They also believed in the existence of demons and made use of divination and rituals to communicate with the gods. In both regions, there were instances where other religions emerged, such as the Atenism during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten in Egypt.
10. In ancient Egypt, the government had a close relationship with religion. The pharaoh was not only a political leader but also a religious figure who was believed to be a living god. The religious beliefs and rituals were intertwined with the state and were used to legitimize the pharaoh's rule. In Mesopotamia, the government also had a close tie with religion, and the king was seen as the intermediary between the gods and the people. However, there was more religious diversity and autonomy within the city-states, with temples and priests playing an important role in the religious affairs of each city-state.
Original Question: How did the trade networks of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia impact their civilizations?
Answer: The trade networks of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia had a significant impact on their civilizations. Both civilizations were located in strategic locations that allowed them to engage in long-distance trade. Egypt, being situated along the Nile River, had access to resources such as gold, ivory, and precious stones from further south in Africa. They also had access to the Mediterranean Sea, enabling them to trade with neighboring regions such as the Levant and Europe. Mesopotamia, located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, had access to valuable resources such as timber, copper, and stone, which they could trade with neighboring regions such as Anatolia and the Persian Gulf.
Trade allowed both civilizations to acquire foreign goods that they did not possess naturally, such as spices, luxury goods, and raw materials. This exchange of goods not only enriched the economies of both civilizations but also facilitated cultural exchanges and the spread of ideas and technologies. For example, Egypt imported cedar wood from Lebanon for construction purposes, while Mesopotamia imported lapis lazuli from Afghanistan for their royal jewelry. The trade networks also fostered diplomatic and political ties between civilizations, leading to alliances and the exchange of knowledge.
Citation:
- Nemet-Nejat, Karen Rhea. "Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia." Indiana University Press, 1998.