One of the many differences between the Masai tribe and the civilizations of the Ancient Egyptians is the funeral practice. While the Masai found the ground too sacred to bury a dead body (with the exception of their chief), the Ancient Egyptians buried their dead in small pits in the desert. Later, the Egyptians began to bury their dead in coffins to prevent them from wild animals, though they did not know that the body decayed in the coffin.
Another difference is their religion. The Masai believe in one deity with two faces, one good and one evil, while the Egyptians believed in several. The Egyptians also believe in an afterlife, while the Masai do not. For the Egyptians, there is a story behind how the world was made, as well as how the gods where made. The Masai are not as interested in all these things, and focus more on the family than the deity in which they believe in.
The third difference between these two societies is the pressure to conform. Because the Ancient Egyptians existed a long time ago, they did not have such a pressure to conform as the Masai face today. There is also the fact that the Egyptians had a whole civilization centered around their beliefs, their gods, and their rulers, while the Masai are seen more as a community than a civilization. The Masai are not as large in population as the Egyptians, and the western world has much more of an impact now than it did in the era of the Egyptians.
Masai vs Spartans
One major difference that can be seen between these two societies is the importance of women. The Masai women have no purpose or function in a family, or even a village, but to wed a warrior and have his children. Women are degraded in Masai, but this is seen as a normal thing. In the Spartan civilization, girls were sometimes treated the same as their brothers, and they were even allowed to engage in the same sports or games. There were also female leaders; the queens of Sparta. When/if the king died, the queens would rule over their civilization (unless they had a son, in which case, he would become king). In the Masai tribe, there is only one male chief, and when he dies, then his son, or another elder will take his place. There is never a female chief.
Another difference is their education. The Spartan children were educated in many different things, along with their theological teachings. They were put through much school, or what was considered much school at the time. In the Masai community, most children, mainly boys, are taught basic things, though mainly how to communicate, and about the village's hierarchy. Masai girls are usually not allowed to go to school, and have to stay home and help their mother. Their mother will teach them how to communicate with others, and will also socialize them and teach them about how the Masai live.
A third difference that can be seen is the defense structure. In the Masai society, when boys get to the age of puberty, the coming of age ritual is performed, and they are re-admitted into society as a junior warrior, ready to fight for their village. Both junior and senior warriors fight for their village, and there is not boy that can escape this fate. Boys do not have the choice to decline this job, whereas in the Spartan civilization it is much easier to. If you are a full citizen, you are put into the military services. The second class were usually used as the light infantry. The third class were used as light troops. In any one of these classes, if you were too young or old, too weak or disabled, you would not have to fight. In the Masai tribe, you had to fight for your village if you were a warrior, no matter what the circumstances were.