Mesopotamia And Egypt Similarities

Women in early civilizations located in Mesopotamia and Egypt lived very similar but also disparate lives. At the start of agricultural civilizations, women began venturing out from gathering and taking care of the children, becoming house takers and farmers. Overall, women roles in Mesopotamia and Egypt are quite similar. The similarities between women in Mesopotamia and Egypt relate to the Hammurabi law. Women were to be obedient to their husband or if not be punished by death although men could be unfaithful to his wife (Stearns, 38). This is an example of the double standard of women and men in both Mesopotamia and Egypt. Another example is the modest standard for women. Women in both Mesopotamia and Egypt were expected to represent the family and keep a good reputation for their husbands (Stearns, 38). This provides evidence that the men are the important figure of the family with the wife being obedient to him. In summary, women in both Egypt and Mesopotamia lived similar lives.

For instance, women in Egypt that had a high class had considerable credit for providing for the family (Stearns, 38). An example would be the Queen Nefertiti’s religious role (Stearns, 38). In Mesopotamia, women had little credit for providing for the family and farming. Overall, Egypt gave more credit to women for working and providing for the town while in Mesopotamia, credit was given rarely to women. In conclusion, the role of patriarchalism in both areas cause inequality to women and is still being worked on