Cradles of Civilizations: Egypt Vs. Mesopotamia

David Papikyan                                                                                                  Global Studies                                                                                                                    

10-12-14                                                                                                                  Mrs. Allard

Period 4                                                                                                                            BTHS

Cradles of Civilizations: Egypt vs. Mesopotamia

In 3000 BCE, two river valley civilizations emerged . Mesopotamia originated between the Tigris and Euphrates while Egypt developed along the Nile. Both civilizations created a government and were able to due to their agricultural surpluses. The Mesopotamian people lived on the Fertile Crescent which had incredibly rich land and allowed successful farming. For the Egyptians, the Nile flooded consistently, which would give the Egyptians fertile land.

If I were to be part of any civilization, I would choose the Egyptians. In Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates flooded violently and randomly. This caused high mortality rates meaning large amounts of people died from drowning. The Nile was consistent, flooding annually every July. The Egyptians even found a way to tell when the Nile was going to flood. They created a calender and marked the day each time it flooded. Due to this, the Egyptians were more organized and did not worry constantly over death. I would personally rather have a higher chance of living than live in fear. One main thing that only the Egyptians had was social mobility. For example, if someone was born a farmer, he could work his way up through the social classes and become a scribe. If someone in Mesopotamia was born to be a merchant, he would not be able to climb up the social classes.