While the Nile River was predictable and easier to deal with, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers were unpredictable. This meant that the Mesopotamians did not have a constant supply of crops due to the crops that were ruined by the rivers. On the other hand, the Egyptians had no trouble and their agriculture was rich. Therefore, the Mesopotamians were envious of the Egyptians and their environment. Although both civilizations had agriculture, they had different produces.
This essay will prove that ultimately, the expulsion of the Hyksos and the beginning of the 18th dynasty strengthened Egypt making them an unbeatable force for hundreds of years. The period in which the Hyksos ruled Egypt was considered by all Egyptians as “a great national humiliation” . During this time, it is believed that there were five Hyksos Kings - Sheshi, Yakubher, Khyans, Apepi I and II. This theory is based around the detailed descriptions by Manetho, however there is much debate surrounding this as the papyri that the script was written is severely damaged and the length of each rule is also debated for the same reason . Whilst the later Egyptian rulers, such as Hatshepsut in her temple Speos Artemidos, named the Hyksos as “barbarians... who ruled in ignorance of Re” the names of each Hyksos king contradict this.
It was believed that the kings were the gods’ representatives on earth; the kings had special privileges and special tasks that they had to accomplish. For example the kings ruled by special divinity and were set apart/ away from all other people including the priests. Kings also had to respect and glorify the gods through offerings just as the rest of the people the only thing that was different was that the kings had a greater commitment than the rest because their power was greater than the peoples or priests. The Ubaid people created central locations for places of adoration, and the buildings were used for economic and administrative purposes. Uruk, was a more urbanized version of the Ubaid
Having mountains surround you is almost if not worse than living in the middle of a hot, dry desert. Mountainous land is not fertile, and is very hard to travel across to find the fertile land they need. Ancient Egypt although it is vastly covered in desert, it had the Nile river which provided them with everything they could have hoped for and then some. While the rain fall helped the Sumerians grow crops and sustain live, the Nile River provided Egypt with water, and the most fertile soil the world could ask for. The landscapes and regions for these civilizations were both hurting but also providing them with what they needed to thrive.
Whereas, Mesopotamia was known as the “land between the river” due to the fact that it was stuck right between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Both civilizations were located by riversides, which supported them with fertile land helped create the base of their success. The Egyptians were more blessed in this because they had realized there vast natural resources because of the Nile River. Unlike the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, they had the benefits of the river flooding which would flood in September and leave perfect fertilized soil for the planting season. Egypt also grew papyrus reeds, had good fishing, and hunted animals by the river banks.
One could say that the differences were in some cases staggering.11 Egypt was a far more optimistic society as far as beliefs, and artwork goes, whereas, Mesopotamia tended to favor a more strictly functional outlook. One may wonder, where and how these differences became so stark. There is no clear answer to this question. It could be assumed that they came about due to variations in geography, exposure to outside invasion and influence, and different beliefs, however, it can be difficult to guess why, despite the amount of trade and war that occurred between the two that they did not imitate each other more. 12 One of the places where these differences were most prominent was in the roles, and treatment of women.
Though Mesopotamia and Egypt were alike there were some differences between the two. With Mesopotamia gaining all the wealth from agriculture and with a few natural defenses, this made the people susceptible to have more invasions and to have internal conflicts. Egypt on the other had didn’t have as many interruptions as Mesopotamia, because of the high mountains and deserts helped to protect the Nile Valley. In Egypt their main focus was the funerary practices. The rulers devoted their time to the design and decoration of extensive funerary complexes, as well as the pyramids and subterranean tombs.
The bricks made from mud, because the desert climate surrounding the area caused a lack in natural resources like wood and stone. The Sumerians also used copper and bronze to make stronger weapons and tools like knives. The Sumerians invented the first known form of writing called cuneiform. That definitely changed the world around us because without Cuneiform the system of writing could be very, very different. Chinese civilizations developed the most advanced form of writing.
All the cultures were technologically stuck in the Stone Age,and ,combined with their lack of immunity to European diseases meant that these civilizations were overrun and conquered by Europeans. Columbus proved to the Europeans that the world was likely round and not flat. He didn't really prove that it was round, but his voyages increased the perceived likelihood that it was, and inspired other explorers who really did demonstrate that you could head west and end up east. That increased global trade significantly. It also increased global awareness of the other cultures that share this planet.
There were also old Egyptian structures that had to be carefully moved to avoid destruction from the new path of the river. These relocations sparked controversy and resistance from the Egyptian people due to the old structures being a large part of the tourist attraction in Egypt. Another big problem the Dam caused was with the soil around the river. Normally the soil was very good for farming, even with the annual floods, but the construction of the Dam caused the nutrients in the water to stop flowing to the soil. The result was poor farmland and in turn, the poverty of the farmers wasn’t completely solved.