Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India are some of the early civilizations, that helped to shape the world as we know it. Each ancient civilization had many contributions to society. Some would include irrigation, grid like house system, and written languages.
Egypt, Mesopotamia, Shang/Zhou dynasties/China, and the Indus Valley are all different ancient river valley civilizations. All have different aspects of civilizations. Some aspects of civilization include technology, writing/language, specialized jobs, government, etc. These decisions were made based on the climate and biome the civilization was located in. These things needed to be taken into account because certain aspects of civilization were not suitable for every civilization. A written language was key to creating a thriving civilization, helping many tasks become easier. Writing was composed of many things, but the most important include a government building, a library, and a written language.
To start with, their cultures are drastically contrasting. There is definitely a noticeable difference between the two countries in terms of religious beliefs. Chinese art is greatly influenced by the country’s rich spiritual and mystical history.
Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient China shared the same type of government. Although Ancient Mesopotamia began ruling its lands with priest kings eventually came to rule just as Ancient China, both civilization believed kings had divine approval. Social classes among both civilization followed the upper class, middle class, lower class structure. Upper class among the two consisted of the higher gods, kings, priest etc. Middle class consisted of peasant farmers, merchants, fisherman etc. Lower class consisted of slaves, lower gods and many more. Mesopotamia followed "Hammurabi's code of Law" and China followed "Confucius Golden rule"
Every civilization throughout history has their ups and downs. What if these ups and downs could all be connected back to one main factor, to one influence? Throughout history, it can be noticed that the location of a civilization affects the shape of its culture, economy, trade, and security of its borders. It defines which societies rise to power and which lose power. Geography influences history in many ways, as can be seen in the Indus Valley, Greece, and Aksum civilizations. The Indus Valley built large mud walls and drainage systems to lessen the effects of massive flooding. In Greece, many wars occurred between city states due to the differences in culture caused by separation by mountain ranges. In Aksum, they utilized their access to different bodies of water to become the head of trade. Each of these civilizations utilized their geography and its advantages, but also eventually fell victim to its disadvantages.
The land along the Nile and delta was arable and very good for farming, while the rest of the land was dry like a desert. (Document 2-1) So, the land near the Nile became the perfect environment for a civilization to commence. Although the Nile floods provided silt, allowing crops to grow, the floods also destroyed villages and killed many people. Despite this, so much success was found in Egypt
To start, each civilization began next to a river(s). In ancient times, you were unable to control the river, so if it flooded, people went along with it. Now Egyptians had the Nile. It flooded annually at about the same time of year, and was very predictable. It covered the land in silt. Ancient Sumerians, however, were located in between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. These often flooded unpredictably, and sometimes didn’t flood
The land was fertilized annually by the floods of the Nile and them grew cereals to make bread and beer, vegetables, linen to manufacture fabrics, etc. Bread, onions and beer were part of the basic diet of the classes.
Old Egypt and China were fundamentally the same as additionally varied from multiple points of view. Their topography was similar.
Throughout time civilizations have risen and collapsed. Some were conquered while others simply disappeared. The Egyptian civilization thrived near the Nile River from 3000 B.C. and was later conquered by the Persian Empire around 525 B.C. In the other hand, the Mayan civilization developed in Yucatan Peninsula around 200 B.C., and mysterious disappeared around 900 A.D. However, these two cultures share many factors in common such as developing calendars and building pyramids. Even though civilizations developed in different time periods, they can still have many factors in common such as environment, language, and architecture.
In Mesopotamia, the rivers Tigris and Euphrates flooded the land each year. This flooding provided the earth with a rich soil that was ideal for agriculture. With this fertile soil, humans were capable of planting crops and engaging in cultivation. Hunters and gatherers settled down and began to domesticate animals and crops, as well as develop stronger homes. Organization and social skills began to advance, regulations and government were created, and a larger civilization started to form. Ultimately, the flooding of these rivers allowed humans to take up agriculture, along with allowing them to advance in essential societal and structural
The rivers that these civilizations were built around directly impacted the way they viewed their gods. The Nile was a very strong and reliable river. It flooded annually blessing the Ancient Egyptians with a richer agriculture then Ancient Mesopotamians. (pg 17) Because of this the Egyptians viewed their gods as reliable beings who wanted to help them. People of Ancient Mesopotamia viewed their gods as being unreliable like their rivers. Life was likely better for Egyptians during this period because they did not have to worry as much about survival, whereas peoples
With both civilizations being developed around 3500 BC, there are many similarities and differences between the Egyptians and the Mayans. The Egyptians developed their empire in Northeast Africa, which affected the way they farmed and built their cities. The Mayans developed their civilization in MesoAmerica, which influenced their culture differently from the Egyptians. The farming techniques, architecture, and religion were all influenced by the environment they lived in.
inspired the culture of neighboring peoples. The standard of living amongst all three civilizations was
During 600 BCE and 600 CE, many countries was going through a drastic change. When analyzing early civilizations, it’s evident there is similarities and differences. The Middle East, China, and Africa were among few countries that advanced during this aeon. All of these empires within the countries have risen and fallen, developing these civilizations to what we know of today.