What is the Difference Between Sumerians and Egyptians?

The Sumerians and Egyptians were two great ancient civilizations that lived around the same time but had distinct differences in various aspects of their societies. Some key differences between them include:

1. Geography and Environment: The Sumerians lived in southern Mesopotamia, now southeastern Iraq, on the plains of Tigris and Euphrates. In contrast, the Egyptians lived along the Nile River in North Africa.
2. Government: The Egyptian government was more authoritarian, with absolute power residing with the Pharaoh. On the other hand, Sumerian government was more collaborative, with city-states being governed by their own kings and input from nobles acting as councils.
3. Religion: Both civilizations were polytheistic, but they worshipped different gods and had different beliefs. For example, Egyptians believed in a positive afterlife, while Sumerians thought it was dark. Sumerians worshipped the heaven, earth, air, and water as gods, while Egyptians recognized a larger number of gods.
4. Funerary Practices: The Egyptians had more complex funerary ceremonies and afterlife mythology than the Sumerians.
5. Writing Systems: Both civilizations developed complex writing systems for record keeping, but they were different. Sumerians used cuneiform writing, while Egyptians used hieroglyphics.
6. Economy and Trade: The Sumerians were more focused on trade and commerce, while the Egyptians were more agricultural-based.

In summary, the Sumerians and Egyptians had distinct differences in their governments, religions, funerary practices, writing systems, and economies, despite being contemporaneous civilizations.

Comparative Table: Sumerians vs Egyptians

Here is a table comparing the differences between Sumerians and Egyptians:

Sumberians and Egyptians were both great ancient civilizations that lived around fertile plains and built advanced societies. They had different writing systems, with Sumerians developing cuneiform and Egyptians creating hieroglyphics. Sumerians had a state-based government, while Egyptians had a central government led by a king. In terms of religion, Sumerians worshipped deities related to heaven, earth, air, and water, while Egyptians had over 2000 gods and goddesses with the Pharaoh as the ruler. The Sumerians built ziggurats as religious structures, while the Egyptians are known for creating the pyramids.