Egypt, Mesopotamia and Ancient Greek Civilizations
Michael Jones
10/5/2012
Cabrera
Egypt, Mesopotamia and Ancient Greek Civilizations The Ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamia, and Greeks were some of the oldest complex societies, although similar in many aspects. Mesopotamia is located in the Fertile Crescent, land in and between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers usually known as modern day Iraq and Eastern Syria.(24) In Egypt, the Nile River creates a fertile valley which is rich in nutrients and essential to their survival. The Nile flows from Burundi, slightly south of the equator eventually traveling through Egypt and into the Mediterranean. Ancient Greece is situated very closely to Egypt so trading was easy between them. How are these three civilizations comparable and different? The Purpose of this essay is to compare and contract Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece, Using the features of a complex society Subsistence, Social Stratification, Government, and Economic Systems. Subsistence of the Mesopotamian culture relied on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers which flooded in the summertime, when crops were preparing to mature, the floodwaters washed away settler’s homes. (25) The settler’s attempted to counter this by producing channels that drained the water and rich nutrients to their crops. (25) This shows a connection between Egyptian complex societies and the techniques in which they utilized the Nile River. The Egyptians often constructed their cities close to the Nile as it provided irrigation for farming, fishing, and a rich supply of bathing and drinking water. The Nile was much more a reliable source of water than the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia. (30) The River was much more powerful and deposited more silt when it did flood. The Subsistence of Ancient Greece was very different, farming was complicated due to the limited amounts of good soil and arable cropland. Greece instead set up trade routes with the Egyptians they traded essential items such a wheat grain, art and other commodities.
10/5/2012
Cabrera
Egypt, Mesopotamia and Ancient Greek Civilizations The Ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamia, and Greeks were some of the oldest complex societies, although similar in many aspects. Mesopotamia is located in the Fertile Crescent, land in and between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers usually known as modern day Iraq and Eastern Syria.(24) In Egypt, the Nile River creates a fertile valley which is rich in nutrients and essential to their survival. The Nile flows from Burundi, slightly south of the equator eventually traveling through Egypt and into the Mediterranean. Ancient Greece is situated very closely to Egypt so trading was easy between them. How are these three civilizations comparable and different? The Purpose of this essay is to compare and contract Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece, Using the features of a complex society Subsistence, Social Stratification, Government, and Economic Systems. Subsistence of the Mesopotamian culture relied on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers which flooded in the summertime, when crops were preparing to mature, the floodwaters washed away settler’s homes. (25) The settler’s attempted to counter this by producing channels that drained the water and rich nutrients to their crops. (25) This shows a connection between Egyptian complex societies and the techniques in which they utilized the Nile River. The Egyptians often constructed their cities close to the Nile as it provided irrigation for farming, fishing, and a rich supply of bathing and drinking water. The Nile was much more a reliable source of water than the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia. (30) The River was much more powerful and deposited more silt when it did flood. The Subsistence of Ancient Greece was very different, farming was complicated due to the limited amounts of good soil and arable cropland. Greece instead set up trade routes with the Egyptians they traded essential items such a wheat grain, art and other commodities.
Cited: Valerie Hansen, Kenneth R. Curtis, Voyages in World History, Breif Edition Volume 1 to 1600, Wadsworth Publishing, December 30, 2008, October 7, 2012. Pages 24, 25, 30. (These are the numbers put into the essay.)