The role of women differed greatly among the ancient societies of both Mesopotamia and Egypt, whose territories make up what is now Iraq and parts of Iran, Turkey and Syria. For the most part, ancient women in Egypt enjoyed more rights and privileges than their Mesopotamian counterparts in matters of marriage and property ownership.Ancient Egyptian legal rights extended to women in most situations, which made the nation's societal structure more egalitarian than most others of the time. Like men, women could buy, sell and manage property. They had ownership rights and could acquire commodities such as livestock, money, goods, slaves and servants. Egyptian women could work outside of the home and build wealth. While Mesopotamian Women could not exercise much personal sovereignty in ancient Mesopotamia. The social structure defined women in relation to their families. Society viewed a woman as her father's daughter or her husband's wife -- and not as an autonomous individual.Hope this book will be useful for many readers.