., but some time before 3200 B.C. economic development accelerated, in part because of growing trade with other regions including Mesopotamia. ... The Egyptians did not take to the Sumerian cuneiform alphabet and developed a hieroglyphic alphabet instead. Hieroglyphics, though more pictorial than Sumerian cuneiform, were based on simplified pictures of objects abstracted to represent concepts or sounds. ... It mixed magical ceremonies and beliefs with worship, in a fashion common to early religions almost everywhere. ... During this period trade and other contacts with the Middle East and the ...

• Word Count: 2162
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate