AP World History – Ms. Admire
Gabriela Gutierrez
Mesopotamia and Egypt Civilizations
Mesopotamia was surrounded by most of the world's ancient highly developed and social complex states. Mesopotamia was considered one of the four riverine civilizations because at that time writing began or was invented and also, that’s when the Nile Valley in Egypt developed. Egypt was a second civilization that grew up in northeastern Africa, along the Nile River. The Egyptian civilization began its formation by 3000 B.C., which was mainly benefited by the Mesopotamia technological influence and trade, but differ from their culture and society. The Egyptian civilization began to develop near to the Nile River. The Nile River provided the population food and water because of its location in a fertile area in the middle of the desert. Farming began developing along the Nile River around 5000 B.C. Egyptian civilization consolidated about around 3150 B.C. with political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh, Narmer. Ancient Egyptians had a king but referred to him as a Pharaoh which was the most powerful person of Egypt. The pharaoh possessed the power of a god so he was considered the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people. The Pharaoh had two roles which were titled: “Lord of the Two Lands (Ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt)” & “High Priest of Every Temple (Gods on Earth)”. He was provided with own of land, collection of taxes, defense of Egypt, and also, creation of laws. As a God, he did rituals and built temples to honor gods. The huge pyramids built by the workers in Egypt where used as tombs to buried the kings (Pharaohs) with their possessions after death.
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers were a mainly and important occasion of the Mesopotamian civilization because it was the cause of its development. Mesopotamian civilization is mostly better explanatory by dividing it into different periods or ages.