MariaReveche

HonorsWL9
Quarter3:CompareandContrastessay

TheancientcivilizationsofGhanaandMesopotamiaareverydifferent,butsurprisingly,
alsoveryalike.Eachcivilizationhasdifferentgeologicalfeaturesthataffectedtheminunique
ways,advancesintechnology,andrichculturesfullofancienttraditionsandtakesontheworld.
Intermsoftheirgeographicalfeatures,themostprominentsimilaritybetweenancient
GhanaandMesopotamiaistheirlocationsnearmajorrivers.TheNigerriverranthroughancient
Ghana,andMesopotamia,therivervalleycivilizations,weresituatedneartheTigrisand
Euphratesrivers.Inbothareas,thenearbyriversprovidedsourcesofwater,agricultures,
washingwater,andfishasfood.Thisiswherethesimilaritiesstop.Thedifferencesinlocation
affectedthelivesofthepeoplelivingthereinoppositeways.Asaresultoftheirlocation,the
ancientcivilizationofGhanawasafocalpointfortradeandmassproducerofgold,which
inflatedtheeconomyandallowedthepeopletheretoliveinluxury.Ontheotherhand,the
peopleofMesopotamiawerealwaysinaconstantstateofwar,anddidnthaveopportunityto
trademuch.Theyoftensufferedfaminesandinvasionfromneighbors.Theylivedinthedry
desertsoftheMiddleEastwhilethoseinancientGhanalivedonthebreezyplains.
Thesetwocivilizationsaresimilarinthattheywerebothveryadvancedfortheirtime.
Mesopotamianswerethefirsttoestablishacivilization,andtheyhadalreadyformedawriting
system.Theydevelopedcuneiformandthebeginningsofmathematics.Theirclothesweremade
ofanimalskins.Lateron,theancientcivilizationofGhanaprovedtoalsobeadvancedforits
time.Theywerefarsuperiorintheirironworkingskills,whichmadetheirweaponrymore
advancedthantheirneighborsandtheirstrongertoolsmadefarmingandminingmucheasier.
Theirartisanswerealsotalentedincarpentry,pottery,stonemasonry,andclothmanufacturing.
AlthoughMesopotamiasadvancesdontappeartobeonparwiththatofAncientGhana,its
importanttorememberthattheirtechnologyappliestotheirtimeinthehistoryofearth.
Whenspeakingofculture,itsappropriatetosaythatMesopotamiaandGhanahavefew
religioussimilaritiestoeachother.Onesimilarityliesintheworshipofpolytheisticreligions.
However,thatchangeslater.Mesopotamiansbelievedinmultiplegodsthattookhumanform


thattheywerecreatedtoserve,whileancientGhanaiansbelievedinamajorgodwhosesons,
alsogods,dwelledintheimportantthingsaroundthem(thesun,themoon,theriver).Later
however,ancientGhanachangedtoaccommodatethemassworshipofmonotheisticreligions
suchasChristianityandIslam.ThesewerebroughtbySaharantraderswhohadcrossedthe
Sudan.Intheirseparatereligiousviews,Mesopotamiansbelievedthateachpersonalivehada
dutyandiftheyfailedtodoit,everyonewouldsuffer.Thisishowtheyexplainednatural
phenomenaandthingssuchasfamine.ThoseinGhanaexplainednaturalphenomenainasimilar
way.Anoldstorythatwastoldlinkstheirowndroughttothefaultofaritualsacrifice.Inthe
story,Bida,theblacksnake,demandedanannualsacrificeinreturnforguaranteeingprosperity
inthekingdom.Everyyear,thoselivinginthekingdomofferedavirginforsacrificeuntilone
year,thefiancoftheintendedvictimrescuedher.Feelingcheatedofhissacrifice,Bidatookhis
revengeontheregionandadroughttookholdofGhana.Bothcivilizationscreatedtheirown
waystoexplainthingstheydidnthavetheknowledgetoexplainotherwise.
Asyoucansee,althoughtheylieondifferentareasonthetimelineofhumanhistory,the
rivervalleycivilizationsofMesopotamiaandtradecenterofancientGhanaareverysimilar
whenanalyzedsidebyside.Themajorsimilaritiesrevealthemselvesingeographicalfeaturesand
advancesintechnology.Thesetworegionsaredifferentintheirresourcesandlocation,aswellas
theirprogression.ThoseinMesopotamiafacedconstantinvasionandfamine,whilethosein
ancientGhanasubduedneighborswithironweaponsandhadlargefoodindustries.The
kingdomsthattookoverMesopotamiainorderovertimeworshippedpolytheisticreligionsand
believedtheyhadadutyonearth.ThekingdomofancientGhanagraduallybeganworshipping
themonotheisticreligionsofthenewagethatarestillpresenttoday.Despitethesedifferences,
thesimilaritiesarefarmoregroundbreaking.Thisshowsusthatalthoughcivilizationsdochange
overtime,somepiecesofhistoryandpartsofhumanmentalityarerepeatedandexecutedin
uniqueways.