Raphael Luu Johnson Dinh Alexander Rosales
Ancient River Valley Civilizations Comparative Essay The four Ancient River Valley Civilizations had many aspects that allowed them to develop and form into the societies that they were. A few of these are the same in all the civilizations, but there are also several differences in each region. People settled down near the rivers for the water source as they started the Neolithic Revolution with the development of agriculture. The groups of people soon combined in these areas to form different civilizations. The way of life was somewhat similar in these four civilizations. They would grow food using …show more content…
However, the culture mostly differed in the four civilizations due to the location and different peoples. The Mesopotamians had a cuneiform system to put down ideas and writing. This later evolved to the point where it could be used to record anything from treaties and contracts to prayers and myths. The Mesopotamians created many pottery items and jewelry. They also constructed huge ziggurats as temples/shrines to the gods. Their construction came from mud-fired clay due to the lack of stone. The Mesopotamians learned math skills such as algebra and took time in studying the sky in forming an accurate calendar. The Egyptians used hieroglyphics as a form of writing. It was used to record stories, hymns, prayers and much more. This writing soon developed into a much simpler form; one that could be used in everyday writing. The Egyptians created massive pyramids, temples and other structures for many cultural purposes. They carved into statues, tombs/pyramids, and walls. They developed an accurate calendar as well as created advanced ships and boats. The Indus River Civilizations used Indus script as a form of writing. These scripts were used to write epics, religious texts and documents. They could be used in local area languages or the official region language. The Indus people had pottery, sculpting, and painting skills shown from their remains. They worked well with wax, clay, and …show more content…
All of the civilizations had a social hierarchy in which the highest elite class ruled over everyone else, whether it was a king or a group of people. This ruling elite had complete control over the people, but also protected the civilization itself. The powerful leadership allowed for a strong government to develop and hold stable civilizations. The civilizations all had contact with others allowing them to trade and form allies. Trade supported the economy and replenished the resources that the civilizations were short on. Mesopotamia had a ruler that controlled its people. Hammurabi, one of the rulers, created the Code of Hammurabi; a set of laws that dictated the government’s system telling right from wrong, and also had a major affect on people’s families and everyday life. The ruler led massive armies to protect and enforce the laws. The ruler maintained the civilizations architecture and water systems to keep the civilization thriving and was viewed by the people as a servant for the gods. Egypt’s government was a theocracy and was ruled by a Pharaoh, who was similar to a king. He held absolute power, having a vizier to help in controlling the business and government. The Pharaoh upheld a powerful central government and preserved order in the civilization. The throne was passed down through the family line with exception to an intervener who stole the throne by killing or