Similar things were: writing (cuneiform), basic algebra and geometry, and calendars. It's amazing to think that a people who existed some 3,000 years before the advent of Christ were able to create such things when the world was so primitive. Cultural diffusion occurred when other civilizations learned things through contact with the Sumerians. The civilized people of the world denigrate the Sumerians. Egypt had a vast civilization that lasted a long time. Without the Nile, however, there would have been no Egypt because this civilization depended on the Nile flooding at particular times of the year. Egypt is located in North Africa, a predominantly arid territory. The Nile provides fertile soil, fresh water and transportation. Neolithic farmers exploited the fertile soil of the Nile River Valley to grow wheat and flax (used for clothing). Not only did the Nile help produce resources, it also helped Egypt become the world's first unified country