Question

Compare the social hierarchy and daily life of people in the Egyptian civilisation with those in Mesopotamia or China. What differences do you notice?

Answer 1

Aspect	Egyptian Civilisation	Mesopotamian Civilisation
Ruler	The Pharaoh was the supreme ruler and was considered divine.	The king was the political ruler, supported by priests and officials.
Social hierarchy	Pharaoh → nobles, priests and officials → farmers, artisans and merchants → labourers and slaves.	King → priests, nobles and officials → merchants, artisans and farmers → labourers and slaves.
Religion	Egyptians strongly believed in life after death and built pyramids and tombs for the dead.	Mesopotamians worshipped many gods and built large ziggurats as temple centres.
Daily life	Life was closely connected with the Nile, farming and religious beliefs.	Life depended on the Tigris and Euphrates, irrigation, farming and city-based trade.
Writing	Egyptians used hieroglyphs for writing and record-keeping.	Mesopotamians used cuneiform writing on clay tablets.
Settlements	Egypt was largely united under one Pharaoh and had settlements along the Nile.	Mesopotamia had several independent city-states, such as Ur and Uruk.
Architecture	Famous for pyramids, temples and tombs.	Famous for ziggurats, temples and large city walls.
Main occupations	Farming, crafts, trade, administration, priesthood and construction.	Farming, crafts, trade, administration, priesthood and construction.