History Group
Question:
vladik1
Student
High School - 9th Grade
What might account for Sumer's negative view of life as opposed to Egypt's optimistic view?
Mesopotamia and Egypt
Answers:
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marilynn07 Teacher
High School - 9th GradeeNotes Editor
Posted by marilynn07 on Monday July 13, 2009 at 11:14 AMThe short answer is the climate and available water supply were different in these regions.
Egypt was nourished and nurtured by the Nile and the predictability of the Nile floods which brought alluvial silt from the areas into the crop lands. The Egyptians had a good situation and were able to prosper based on their knowledge of the rain, floods, and abundant alluvial soils in the area. This gave them the cosmology of the goddess Nut as being the mother goddess of creation.
Ancient Sumer's climate was somewhat less predictable and water was not as abundant in the form of a river. Sumer's water came from rain, and sometimes rain storms which at times gave them the idea that they were not always held in favor by their gods. Because of the unpredictability of the rain and flooding, the Sumerians developed an attitude of fear of the gods. The area was less fertile and therefore more prone to "feast or famine" types of cycles.
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