How were the early river valley civilization similar and different?
All engaged in large scale irrigation; drawing labor from the population via a system of corvee. All used glyph writing systems; mesopotamia: cunieform, nile: hieroglyphics, yellow: chinese, indus: harrapan script. Differences... there are many differences, geography of course... but the largest one is that the Indus's writing, harrapan script has never been deciphered so historians know the least about it.
What are the differences between Indus valley civilization and the Harrapan civilization?
Harappan Civilization is the other name for Indus Valley civilization. The civilization was named Harappan civilization as Harappa was the first site discovered that threw light on this marvelous civilization. Harappa is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about 24 km (15 mi) west of Sahiwal. The site takes its name from a modern village located near the former course of the Ravi River. The site of the ancient city contains the ruins of a Bronze Age fortified city, which was part of the Cemetery H culture and the Indus Valley Civilization, centered in Sindh and the Punjab.The city is believed to have had as many as 23,500 residents and occupied about 150 hectares (370 acres) with clay sculptured houses at its greatest extent during the Mature Harappan phase (2600–1900 BC), which is considered large for its time. Per archaeological convention of naming a previously unknown civilization by its first excavated site, the Indus Valley Civilization is also called the Harappan Civilization.
What did the four ancient River Valley civilizations have in common? How did they differ?
The Four Ancient River Valley CivilizationsMesopotamia: Tigris and Euphrates RiversEgypt: Nile RiverHarappa (Indus): Indus and Ganges RiversChina: Yellow and Yangtze RiverAdvantages of being in River Valleys:Being Near a RiverFertile SoilEasy TransportationFood SourcesEasily ProtectedSimilarities:Strict Class Divisions/Centralized GovernmentMesopotamia- Ruled by priestsEgypt- Ruled by the Pharaoh. His word was law.Harappa- Ruled by a king, usually head of military class.China- Ruled by an emperor.Religion- All civilizations had some form of religion.Egyptians worshipped their gods (Osiris, Ra, Isis, etc.). They believed that their pharaohs were gods on earth and created grand burial tombs to ensure they have a good afterlife.Record Keeping/Written Law Codes- Each civilization had their own unique way of writing. The Egyptians used hieroglyphics, the Harappans had their own script and it is still not deciphered. The Chinese had their own script, which is still being used today. The Mesopotamians had their own form called cuneiform.Economic DevelopmentMetal Tools/WeaponsIncreased Agriculture- from better tools and irrigation techniquesIncreasing TradePracticed SlaveryDifferencesLocation- Obviously.AccomplishmentsMesopotamia- Number system based on 60, 12 month calendar, wagon wheel, sailboatEgypt- 365 Day Calendar, number system based on 10, medicine, papyrus paperChina- Abacus, cannon, compass, decimal system, fireworks, gunpowder, silk, inkHarappa- Concept of zero, symbols for the number 1–9, chessLaws/Moral CodesDifference Structure of GovernmentInternal Social Structure DifferedSourcesAncient Civilizations Comparison ChartCompare and Contrast: Early CivilizationsAncient River Valley Civilizations
Why did ancient civilizations develop in river valleys?
River valleys not only have water, they also often have a broad, flat floodplain that is readily adapted to agriculture. Even the earliest, least sophisticated agricultural techniques would have been effective in yielding a significant bounty of crops from the naturally-irrigated and fertile soil of a river valley.All the river valleys were civilizations have originated — Mesopotamia (the valleys of the Tigris and the Euphrates), the Nile, the Indus, the Yellow River, the Rio Balsas — have been geographically located in tropical or sub-tropical latitudes. Thus there was not only plenty of water from these rivers, but also plenty of sunshine. Often the land beyond these river valleys was utterly barren, as in Egypt with the Nile Valley: beyond the immediate flood plain of the Nile, the hills are barren and no agriculture is possible at all.The Nile had the most dependable annual flooding, so that early agriculture was able to produce multiple crops per year without irrigation, as the irrigation took place naturally because of the annual flooding of the Nile. The Indus and the Yellow river also flooded regularly, but were not as predictable as the Nile.The plentiful sun and plentiful river water meant that multiple crops could be raised each year, and the food surplus made possible by river valley agriculture meant that these societies could support growing populations, and that not everyone was forced to farm in order for there to be sufficient food for all. Individuals could specialize in crafts like building, pottery, metallurgy, and eventually even tasks like writing (record keeping), and government, thus allowing civilizations to be born.As farming techniques were gradually improved over thousands of years, and inventions like the plow and irrigation were made, human communities moved beyond these river valleys and established what is known as the “First Temperate Neolithic,” that is say, farming communities made possible by more advanced farming techniques that could be adapted to geographical regions others than fertile river valleys in tropical and sub-tropical regions.
How can i write a conclusion on river valley civilizations?
Water has been the essential necessity to sustain life and ancient people living in a world without technology had no scientifically planned means to fetch or procure water to their doorsteps. However, the rivers flowing through lands played a vital role in facilitating group living along their banks enabling the people to fulfill their drinking needs as well for cultivation. The annual flooding along the banks of rivers Nile and Indus contributed largely in growth of farming practices of staple foods. The rivers provided basic amenity of water and sustained early group living and civilized form of society as witnessed in Babylon near river Tigris, Moenjodaro near river Indus and Luxor near river Nile.
What did the river valley civilizations have in common?
All these were close to rivers. Rivers helped cultivation and navigation. There was surplus production, trade and contact with civilisations around. These were examples of large body of people living together and their problems led to organisation of civic administration and specialisation of functions. In many of these there were flood problems causing partial destruction of total destruction leading to rebuilding of houses etc,
What are some contributions of the Indus Valley Civilization?
The first known plowed field was found at an Indus Valley site. The first known port was at the Indus Valley site of Lothal. The cities of the Indus Valley civilization were planned and laid out carefully, with a gridwork of roads and running water and sewer systems serving most of the homes, this was quite unusual for a Bronze Age culture.Their writing system, called Indus script, was the first known writing system in South Asia.The most common Indus inscriptions were on steatite or ceramic stamp seals about the size of postage stamps, usually with a personal name or title and an image of a bull, tiger, rhino or elephant. The seals may have been used for signing documents or identification purposes. Many of these seals can be considered masterpieces of ancient art in miniature form. The bronze statue of the Dancing Girl and the stone bust of the Priest King are likewise iconic artworks of this culture.It was the people of the Indus Valley culture who first cultivated eggplants. Other crops they grew; millet, rice, wheat, barley, peas, lentils, gram, chickpeas, coriander, dates, grapes, figs, walnuts, mangoes, okra, caper, garlic, turmeric, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, mustard, cotton, sugarcane and sesame. Their domestic animals included cattle, markhor goats, sheep, horses (horse bones were identified by biologist Sandor Bokonyi from a variety of Indus and pre-Indus sites), chickens, water buffalo, dogs, cats and silkworms.Metal work consisted of copper, bronze, silver and gold items. Weapons and tools might be made of copper or bronze, but stone was a popular material also. A few stamp seals made of silver have been found, and fragments of gold jewelry were discovered at Dholavira.Homes were generally made of mud brick, but the IVC city of Dholavira was built of stone. Favorite gems included banded agate and carnelian, which they exported to lands as far off as Egypt.