Human beings have inhabited this planet for numerous years, yet anything resembling modern civilizations did not appear until approximately 10,000 to 16,000 years ago. The beginning of this period marks when agriculture started to become a part of our societies (Hassan 2014). Yet where did this sudden itch for progression result in the direction of agriculture In the following proposition we will explore why water shortages, a need for water, and flooding in ancient times were key factors in the progression of human civilizations. Ancient Rome and ancient China will be ideal examples of this due to their distance in both time historically and distance from each other geographically. In this way, there will be a more thorough understanding of
…show more content…
Around this time, the world “experienced frequent climatic oscillations” (Hassan 2014) and, thus, local climates were experiencing major changes. In what was to become known as China, these changes allowed agriculture to emerge and take root in advantageous societies. While late Paleolithic sites are found in many regions, "it is in the river drainages of the lowest “step” (sea level to 1,000 m) that hunter-gatherers first became sedentary” (Cohen 2011). Thus, we have our first example of how the ability to access greater water helped civilization evolve. In China, populations began turning from hunting and gathering towards agriculture due to these shifts in climate, which allowed wild grains to grow “allowing communities to settle near fields to harvest and process foods, utilizing a new technology based on sickle stone tools” (Hassan 2014). When there is access to water …show more content…
Water conveniently ties the two together at the stem point of building civilizations. There is more convenience in taking root in a location with reliable resources and then directing said resources in the favor of the society than pursuing fleeting opportunity for survival. It is obvious that water is needed for humanity to thrive, but it is amazing what the need for water has driven humanity to accomplish. In China, water has had a hand in the creation of new tools, the ability to domesticate animals and plants, the rise and fall of dynasties, the relocation of city and national centers and the progression to present China with massive population size and incredible human achievements. In Rome, water had a hand in the development of defensive underground structures and the creation of engineering. It influenced the well-known Roman culture and architecture that has influenced art through centuries and been the fundamentals for following societies. Flooding, a need for water, and water shortages actively affected how human being progressed in both their technology and their
Around this time, the world “experienced frequent climatic oscillations” (Hassan 2014) and, thus, local climates were experiencing major changes. In what was to become known as China, these changes allowed agriculture to emerge and take root in advantageous societies. While late Paleolithic sites are found in many regions, "it is in the river drainages of the lowest “step” (sea level to 1,000 m) that hunter-gatherers first became sedentary” (Cohen 2011). Thus, we have our first example of how the ability to access greater water helped civilization evolve. In China, populations began turning from hunting and gathering towards agriculture due to these shifts in climate, which allowed wild grains to grow “allowing communities to settle near fields to harvest and process foods, utilizing a new technology based on sickle stone tools” (Hassan 2014). When there is access to water …show more content…
Water conveniently ties the two together at the stem point of building civilizations. There is more convenience in taking root in a location with reliable resources and then directing said resources in the favor of the society than pursuing fleeting opportunity for survival. It is obvious that water is needed for humanity to thrive, but it is amazing what the need for water has driven humanity to accomplish. In China, water has had a hand in the creation of new tools, the ability to domesticate animals and plants, the rise and fall of dynasties, the relocation of city and national centers and the progression to present China with massive population size and incredible human achievements. In Rome, water had a hand in the development of defensive underground structures and the creation of engineering. It influenced the well-known Roman culture and architecture that has influenced art through centuries and been the fundamentals for following societies. Flooding, a need for water, and water shortages actively affected how human being progressed in both their technology and their