Parallel Development in Mesopotamia and Egypt
Around 3500 BCE, what your text calls “complex societies” began to form in the Fertile Crescent of present-day Iraq and along the banks of the Nile in Egypt. These two societies—Mesopotamia and Egypt—developed along parallel lines in many ways, but they also encountered challenges and benefits unique to their situations. Identify and explain one way in which Mesopotamia and Egypt mirrored each other and one way in which they differed. To what factors do you attribute the differences?
In your responses to classmates, try to consider how far these similarities and differences extended over time. Ask your peers if they think these societies became more alike or different over their 3,000-year histories. What do you think? Cite examples from the posts of your peers in your response.