Ancient Civilizations
The first civilizations in history were developed in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Hurrapan and China some 5,000 years ago. All receive the name of river civilizations because they were developed on the banks of major rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates in Mesopotamia; the Nile in Egypt; the Indus in the Hurrapan civilization; and the Yellow River in China. The banks of these rivers were occupied lands very fertile and easy to water, causing a great development of agriculture. The economic growth produced major changes; the population increased and the small villages grew into large cities with many thousands of inhabitants.
A civilization is a complex culture in which a large number of people share several common elements. Historians have identified some basic features of the civilization, most of which is obvious in the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Hurrapan, China and Egypt.
These include:
(1) Urban revolution; the cities become the principal points of the political, financial, social, cultural and religious development.
(2) Religious structure characteristic; the gods are considered crucial to the success of the community, and professional religious classes; as administrators of the property of the gods and they regulate relations with the gods.
(3) New political structures and military; arises an organized government bureaucracy to meet the administrative demands of the growing population, while armies are organized to acquire domains and power.
(4) A social structure based on economic power; besides the Kings and the top class of priests, political and military leaders that have the domain and it was a large contingent of free men, farmers, artisans and slaves that they were in the last social scale.
(5) The creation and use of writing in this civilizations was the best way for the Kings, priests, merchants and craftsmen to keep records.
(6) New methods of important artistic and intellectual activity; monumental architectural structures often religious; occupy a prominent place in urban environments.
(7) These four civilizations were established on the banks of large rivers and were developed in extensive Valleys River; therefore the base of their economies was agriculture and cattle rising. That why they were called Hydraulic civilizations.
(8) All these civilizations had important urban centers, which in cases such as Mesopotamia and Egypt functioned as major political, commercial and religious complexes.
(9) These civilizations developed hierarchical societies and stratified estates classified according to their specialization. In these societies there was no social mobility since they practiced a strict respect for the traditions and heritage.
(10). All these civilizations achieved great advances in the scientific aspect, especially in the field of astronomy, mathematics and medicine. These developments were applied to the construction of its monuments and works of public use.