...Chapter 1 Who were the first known humans and which time periods/territories did they cover? The earliest human-like creatures were known as hominids and lived in Africa about three or four million years ago. They were known as “southern ape-men”, having flourished in eastern and southern Africa. The Australopithecines were the first hominids that made simple stone tools to hunt or defend themselves, existing about two to four million years ago. These early human-like creatures were bipedal, meaning they walked upright on two legs, enabling them to make journeys on foot. In 1959, a new form of hominid was discovered in Africa labeled the Homo habilis or “handy human”. These hominids were believed to have a brain fifty percent larger than that of the Australopithecines. This allowed them to become more sophisticated in finding food and hunting in Africa. The emergence of the Homo Erectus began about 1.5 million years ago. The Homo Erectus were the first hominid to migrate to Europe and Asia from Africa. Describe the...
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...The Civilizations and Cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt Mesopotamia has been called the first civilization, forming around 2500 BC, but there was also another civilization being formed around the same time; the Egyptian civilization was formed by 3000 BC along the Nile River. Both civilizations were strongly influenced by geography, natural resources, and social class. The development of two great early civilizations were guided by the geography, natural resources, and social classes but these broad categories branched off in different directions for each civilization. Geography had a large impact on the successful development of these two civilizations. Both largely depended on nearby rivers for their success and were called the river civilizations. Mesopotamia translates to “land between rivers” which is exactly what it was. It was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. These rivers provided for the Sumerians to develop an extensive irrigation system. They were also able to use the flooding of the rivers to their benefit, and all of these developments lead to them having things to trade which they also used the rivers to do. Goods were able to move from place to place along the river along with ideas. Similarly, the Egyptian civilization was strongly dependent on their river, the Nile, and they would have not made nearly as much advancement without it. When the Nile flooded it helped farming and agriculture by providing silt, helping the soil. Their irrigation...
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...INDUS CIVILIZATION Indus civilization, also called Indus valley civilization or Harappa civilization, the earliest known urban culture of the Indian subcontinent. It was first identified in 1921 at Harappa in the Punjab region and then in 1922 at Mohenjo-Daro (Mohenjo-Daro), near the Indus River in the Sindh (Sind) region, now both in Pakistan. Subsequently, vestiges of the civilization were found as far apart as Sutkagen Dor, near the shore of the Arabian Sea 300 miles (480 km) west of Karachi, also in Pakistan, and Rupnagar, in India, at the foot of the Shimla Hills 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to the northeast. Later exploration established its existence southward down the west coast of India as far as the Gulf of Khambhat (Cambay), 500 miles (800 km) southeast of Karachi, and as far east as the Yamuna (Jumna) River basin, 30 miles (50 km) north of Delhi. It is thus decidedly the most extensive of the world’s three earliest civilizations; the other two are those of Mesopotamia and Egypt, both of which began somewhat before it. The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (3300–1300 BCE; mature period 2600–1900 BCE) located in the western region of South Asia, and spread over what is now Pakistan, northwest India, and eastern Afghanistan. Flourishing in the Indus River basin, the civilization extended east into the Ghaggar-Hakra River valley and the upper reaches Ganges-Yamuna Doab, it extended west to the Makran coast of Baluchistan and north to northeastern...
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...profitable foundation. There is an area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that once was the pinnacle of human society. In fact, this area is now known as Iraq; the birthplace of the world’s first civilization known as Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia is from Greek origin. It is translated to “Land between the rivers”, and these rivers were the main factor in the development and success of this thriving civilization. The biblical location of what many refer to as the Garden of Eden was located in Mesopotamia. These two rivers gave life to many civilizations in many ways. The Kingdom of Assyria, which is derived from the ancient city of Assur, was born from the banks of the Tigris River. The rivers flow from the north and run parallel to each other. Mesopotamia’s soil was so enriched over the years by the layers of silt left by the flooding and eventual receding of the two rivers making the soil left after the flooding perfect for crops. The flat plains of Mesopotamia proved to be very fertile thanks to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The hot, dry land of Mesopotamia was fertile due to the rich soil and with the use of irrigation crops were flourishing along with the people. The two rivers formed the foundation of the civilization, but the intuitiveness of this early civilization to utilize these rivers and its surroundings, was the key to its expansion. Mesopotamia was the location of the first civilization and arguably one of the most iconic military inventions of that period...
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...Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers, and also was one of the first civilizations for humans. The two most important words in the statement above are land and rivers, because that allowed the humans to settle, and it gave them all the resources they needed. The Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, were the reason why people settled. The rivers provided people with fresh water, transportation, it started trade between the different civilizations, and when the rivers would flood, all the water would moisten the soil and relieve the area from the arid climate. The land was the Fertile Crescent. The Fertile Crescent took up most of Mesopotamia, and most people settled on it because of the two rivers. The land was settled upon because of the climate,...
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...Harappan Civilization (also known as Indus Valley Civilization) Submitted By: Sharad Thakran 1919 Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Discovery and history of excavation 3. Chronology 4. Geography 5. Early Harappan 6. Mature Harappan a. Cities b. Authority and governance c. Technology d. Arts and crafts e. Trade and transportation f. Subsistence g. Writing system h. Religion 7. Collapse and Late Harappan 8. Legacy 9. Historical context and linguistic affiliation Introduction The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (3300–1300 BCE; mature period 2600–1900 BCE) extending from what today is northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India (see map). Along with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia it was one of three early civilizations of the Old World, and of the three the most widespread. It flourished in the basins of the Indus River, one of the major rivers of Asia, and the Ghaggar-Hakra River, which once coursed through northwest India and eastern Pakistan. At its peak, the Indus Civilization may have had a population of over five million. Inhabitants of the ancient Indus river valley developed new techniques in handicraft (carnelian products, seal carving) and metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin). The Indus cities are noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, and clusters of large...
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...on the development of a civilization. In other words, regional geography created a domino effect of the development of various civilizations. For example, the development of the Mesopotamian Civilization was majorly impact by the regional geography. It is important to note that Mesopotamia is known as the birthplace of civilization. Historians believe that between 4,000 B.C.E. and 3,000...
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...began to establish and populate regions of the ancient world forming structures of the early society. As societies expand, they form into civilization with sophisticated form of communications and development of technologies. Physical geography as well as natural resources can shape the cultures and societies around us. We know that early societies have adapted their ways of life for survival. The success or failure of the society can lead to expansion or downfall of a civilization. Environmental and geographic factors are known to contribute in the development of early civilizations such as Mesopotamia as well as the development of the United States through the process of diffusion from people and ideas over time. In the early civilizations, the presence of water symbolized life. Mesopotamia was the birth of early civilization due to its significant geographical characteristics, the rivers. The accessibility to water source from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers provided the early civilization with the knowledge to bring forth dependable food source. Mesopotamia was located in between two rivers (Soomo, 2013a). The Tigris River, which is shorter compared to the Euphrates River, has deeper channels, which can accommodate more water. The Euphrates River begins in the mountain of the Eastern Turkey. It is longer compare to Tigris River; however, water loss occurs through evaporation due to its hot & dry climate. "The Tigris runs almost parallel with the Euphrates and...
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...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...
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...The Indian River Valley Civilization, also known as the Indus River Valley Civilization, was located in modern day Pakistan and western India. The civilization was at its peak between 2500 BCE and 2000 BCE. It was built in the floodplains of the Indus River, where it was guaranteed to flood twice a year, bringing fertile silt to the surrounding soils. Major cities like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were built alongside the Indus River. These cities had irrigation systems and sewage systems. They were also built on a grid much like how New York City was built. Furthermore, the buildings in the cities were all built using the same sized bricks. These constants throughout the entire civilization leads us to believe there was some sort of government...
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...Brandon Gordon Professor J. Gonzales HIST 100 21 February 2014 The Factors Enabling Civilization to First Appear in Mesopotamia History shows us that Mesopotamia had many key factors that played a significant role in allowing the first civilization to develop there. Despite the word being highly debated by subject matter experts worldwide, most would agree that “a civilization is a culture capable of sustaining a great number of specialists to furnish the economic, social, political and religious needs of a large social unit” (Edgar, Hackett, Jewsbury, Molony, Gordon 10). From the beginning to the end, key advancements have set it apart and made it a widely studied world area. Due to Mesopotamia’s geographical advantages in farming capability and advancement in technology, language and laws, it sustained long enough and in a matter to be regarded as the world’s first civilization. After the Neolithic period and Agricultural revolution, people migrated southeast from the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. These people, mostly farmers, settled on the plain between where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers almost connect and modern day Iraq is. The name Mesopotamia is Greek meaning “between the rivers”. Rainfall was inadequate for farming however and these new settlers, out of necessity, developed irrigation techniques that would then allow the rivers to help water their planted crops. This required much teamwork and cooperation from these people though in order to use...
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...ANCIENT INDIAN CIVILIZATION INTRODUCTION In the 1920s, a huge discovery in South Asia proved that Egypt and Mesopotamia were not the only "early civilizations." In the vast Indus River plains (located in what is today Pakistan and western India), under layers of land and mounds of dirt, archaeologists discovered the remains of a 4,600 year-old city. A thriving, urban civilization had existed at the same time as Egyptian and Mesopotamian states — in an area twice each of their sizes. The Indian civilization is one of the most ancient civilizations of the world. It is known as the Sindhu civilization or the Indus Valley civilization or the Aryan civilization. Sometimes it is also referred to as the Vedic civilization. The Aryans kindled the light of this civilization on the banks of the river Sindhu (Indus) in the Northern India, thousands of years ago. Later, they helped spread it across some other parts of the country. The historians can not ascertain the precise period when this great civilization flourished. The scholars differ on the period of its development. Even the origin of the Aryan race has been debatable. Some historians believe that the Aryans migrated from the North Central Asia and settled in India. Some other historians contend that the Aryans have been the natives of India. In the opinion of “Lokmanya Tilak” and other Indian scholars, the Aryan civilization is 4000 to 8000 years old. The Indus Valley Civilization which flourished from about 2600 BCE to...
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...It is not fortuitous that the first civilizations developed around rivers. These bodies of water helped cradle these early societies, very few of which still prosper today. Many have been transformed and annexed by another civilization or demolished in a calamity. Yet some have only faced minor continuities and changes throughout their existence. One of those lasting societies is the civilizations of China. The first civilization of China sprouted along the Huang He (Yellow) River. These small Neolithic societies were able to settle and create a stable community because of the static water source. When nomadic groups settle down and begin to produce food instead of looking for it, people are able to accept roles and can focus on building and expanding their community. This is their Neolithic Revolution which is a major stepping stone that starts the beginning of Chinese culture. In the estimated time of 6,000-7000 B.C.E, societies around the Yangtze River in the south began to cultivate rice and wheat and millet were being grown in the north. To make agriculture more efficient, these societies began to alter their land. The societies in the north cleared forests and built dams. The south also cleared land to plant rice and began to flatten uneven land to fit their needs. These changes show how the civilizations were advancing by attempting to change the very land the walk upon. Around 2000 B.C.E, the Chinese began to use bronze which they were able create various items from...
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...The Contributions of River Valley Civilizations Document-Based Question By: Krupa Patel The ancient River Valley Civilizations of Egypt, China, and Mesopotamia all made key contributions to future societies. Two contributions made by the Mesopotamian civilization, are introducing a complete set of laws and creating the world’s first written language. In Document 1, it states how Sumerians created cuneiform script over 5000 years ago. They used this writing system to keep track of business deals far away, to pass on new ideas to each generation, and to keep records. Cuneiform is what initially started languages all over the world; it was a form of communication that evolved differently in each society. Future civilizations would establish their own languages, gradually making its way to the modern century. In addition, the Mesopotamian civilization developed Hammurabi’s Code, the most complete set of laws that has survived. Document 2 supports this reasoning, by stating that these set of rules were important because they helped govern a civilization while trying to protect people even if they had little political power. From this, future civilizations would begin to make their own laws to have a more organized society. The Code of Hammurabi, however, also brought forth the idea of class. For instance, punishments were based on the class of the lawbreaker and the victim of the crime. The Mesopotamian civilization contributed two major things that even impact the world today:...
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...Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia Egypt and Mesopotamia, two of the earliest civilizations, both established around river valleys. Although these civilizations were located in close proximity to each other, their differing geographical features such as rivers and environmental factors led to the development of two very different societies. Rivers in the Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies played enormous roles in the growth of their civilizations. Egypt, located on both sides of the calm and predictable Nile River, agriculturally prospered from annual flooding that left behind rich, fertile soil known as silt. Flood waters would rise in July, slowly saturating the lands of the Nile River valley and recede in October leaving behind silt for farmers to cultivate and grow numerous crops. In contrast, Mesopotamia was located between the capricious and violent Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the valley known as the Fertile Crescent. While Mesopotamians relied on flooding for the fertile, silt rich soil as well, the unpredictability of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers caused unimaginable damages, some of which resulted in the destruction of entire villages. Environmental factors played a role in the creation of these civilizations, especially in their views of their gods. While Egypt experienced hot, dry, mild weather, Mesopotamia was subjected to, more destructive weather that included severe rainstorms, drought, hail, flooding...
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