know about the ancient civilizations of the world not only does it allow us to understand more about our customs and beliefs, but it is also like experiencing the magic of knowing stories (or legends), of which we are also a part in some way. Because reality is often stranger than fiction and our ancestors are the protagonists of truly incredible milestones.
What are the first civilizations in history?
Let’s see what were the first important civilizations that existed in our history:
Chinese civilization
- Period: 1600 BC c–1046 BC c.
- original location: Yellow River and Yangtze Region
- Current location: Country of China
Ancient China, ranked fifth, definitely has one of the most diverse histories. In fact, if you consider all the dynasties that ruled China from the oldest to the newest, a long period of time must be covered. The Yellow River Civilization is said to be the beginning of all Chinese civilizations where the first dynasties settled. That was around 2700 BC. CNN The legendary emperor began his reign, which later led to the birth of many dynasties that ruled mainland China. In 2070 BC C., the Xia dynasty became the first dynasty to rule all of China, as described in ancient records. Since then, there have been a series of dynasties that exercised control in different periods until the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912 CE with the Xinhai Revolution.
Mayan civilization
- Period: 2600 BC C–AD 900 c.
- original location: around what is now Yucatan
- Current location: Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco and Chiapas in Mexico and south of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras
The ancient Mayan civilization flourished in Central America around 2600 BC. compare with And much has been said about him because of the calendar he gave.
After its founding, the Mayan civilization flourished and became highly developed as its population exploded to its peak at around 19 million people. Around 700 BC, the Mayans invented their own writing system which they used to create solar calendars carved in stone. According to them, the world was created on August 11, 3114 BC. J.-C, your calendar start date. The assumed completion date is December 21, 2012. The ancient Mayans were culturally rich compared to many of their contemporaries, and the Mayans and Aztecs built pyramids, many of which were even larger than those in Egypt.
Ancient Egyptian Civilization
- Period: 3150 BC C–30 BC c.
- original location: banks of the nile
- Current location: Egypt
Ancient Egypt is one of the oldest and most culturally rich civilizations on this list. Ancient Egypt, a great civilization on the banks of the Nile, is famous for its wonderful culture, pharaohs, ancient pyramids, and the Sphinx. The civilizations met around 3150 BC. compare with (according to traditional Egyptian chronology) with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh. But this would not have been possible without the settlers of the Nile Valley from 3500 BC. The history of Ancient Egypt can be divided into a series of stable kingdoms separated by relatively unstable periods known as intermediate periods: the Early Bronze Age Kingdom, the Bronze Age Empire, the Middle Ages, and the New Bronze Empire. .
Indus Valley Civilization
- Period: 3300 BC c–1900 BC c.
- original location: around the Indus river basin
- Current location: from northeastern Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwestern India
One of the oldest civilizations on this list, the Indus Valley Civilization was at the heart of the later civilizations that arose in the Indus Valley region.
This civilization flourished in areas from what is now northeastern Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwestern India. Together with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it is one of the first three civilizations of the ancient world, and one of the three most extensive, with an area of 1.25 million square kilometers.
Entire inhabitants settled in the basin of the Indus River, one of the largest rivers in Asia, and another river called the Ghaghar-Hakra that once flowed through northeastern India and eastern Pakistan. The people of the Indus Valley Civilization achieved great precision in measuring length, mass, and time, and based on artifacts found during excavations, it is clear that the culture is also very rich in arts and crafts.
Mesopotamian civilization
- Period: 3500 BC c.–500 BC c.
- original location: to the northeast by the Zagros Mountains, to the southeast by the Arabian Plateau
- Current location: Iraq, Syria and Turkey
Here the first civilization was formed. The origins of Mesopotamia go back to the present with no records of other earlier civilized societies. The timeline of ancient Mesopotamia is generally considered to date to around 3300 BC. compare with Until 750 a. Mesopotamia is generally considered to be the first place where a truly civilized society began to take shape. That was around 8000 BC. compare with That people developed the idea of agriculture and little by little began to domesticate animals for food and to help in agriculture.
Humans made art long before Mesopotamia, but it was part of human culture, not human civilization. It was the Mesopotamian civilization that refined this, complementing and formalizing all of these systems, and fusing them together to create the first civilization.
What are the 5 current civilizations?
Currently, the 5 civilizations that persist today are:
- Western: Western culture has its roots in ancient Egypt, Sumer, and the Greco-Roman era, and includes various cultures that originated (or did not originate) in Europe, North Africa, the Balkans, and certain regions. Certain regions of the Middle East, especially those of the Romans. empire. Or related to biblical and Christian traditions. However, it is a concept that does not have deep geographical roots, and even more so in the philosophical, artistic, and ethnocultural traditions that defined the “way of being” of the West and the East. Western countries are supposed to share some simple characteristics that, in their diversity, unite them philosophically and culturally.
- China: As we could already mention before, it is one of the oldest civilizations and also one of those that has evolved until it is still booming today.
- Japanese: Japanese culture is the result of a historical process that began with waves of migration from mainland Asia and the Pacific Islands, followed by strong cultural influences from China.
- India: Indian civilization is characterized by the practice of Hinduism and Buddhism, which is often considered a philosophy rather than a religion. These religious branches spread to different parts of the world, including China, forming an important part of the worship of millions of people.
- Islamic: Islamic civilization has among the great civilizations the “logo”, the word, presented in a certain universal language: open to all without exception and what matters, and most importantly, not imposed.
What are Ancient Civilizations
Civilizations are understood as a set of knowledge, knowledge and customs, which are common to a group of human beings in a period of time. At some point in the past, these people marked a before and after that has greatly influenced who we are today.
Since the world as we know it exists, there have also been many civilizations, each contributing their knowledge and customs. With this they have achieved the construction of a civilization or society of great relevance in time. But how did the first civilizations form? which were the most important? What did they contribute to society? It’s time to find out more about ancient civilizations.
When we speak of acivilization» we are referring to a highly developed society both in its economy and in its political, cultural and religious organization. Civilization is the highest degree of development that a society can reach.
In the case of ancient civilizations, born thousands of years ago but they have been the fundamental basis for the social progress that we live in this century, which stands out for the technological age. In any case, if it had not been for these first civilizations, with their inventions, writing and commerce, as well as political structures, they would not have led us to the evolution of what we know today as social structure.
Development comes and has always come from the need for people to be able to adapt and, above all, survive by facing the needs of the corresponding time. However, a basis for all development has been the use of available resources, harmonizing possible deficiencies with their exploitation.
For example, all civilizations arise around a focal point, the great rivers. The rivers were a source of water, essential for the development of agriculture, it was also a means very important to transport commodity. The rivers they ensured the food offering abundant fishing, essential food for incipient civilizations, in addition to preserving the health of the group, offering the ideal means for cleaning and grooming.
A civilization is also born when the social group is capable of use and work metals both for daily use and for defense, with a more or less professional state or political organization, capable of distributing the work, even creating specializations within the work. A society capable of producing what is necessary for self-sufficiency, with a characteristic art and even common beliefs.
Ancient Civilizations – Adaptation to the Environment
A civilization implies an effective adaptation to the environment, since it must feed a huge population. This adaptation can be achieved through of slash-and-burn agriculture (Like the Mayans) or from intensive agriculture (Egypt, Incas, Aztecs, etc). According to the particular characteristics of the environment in which each civilization has developed, various techniques to favor crops and overcome the natural obstacles typical of the region:
- In Egypt and Mesopotamia canals and irrigation works were developed.
- The aztecsThey built rafts of fertile land called Chinampas to take advantage of the space of Lake Texcoco.
- The Incas they made “farm terraces” in the Andes Mountains to gain flat land suitable for agriculture.
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Given that its main economic activity is agriculture, the vast majority of the population is engaged in agricultural tasks. But as these societies grow in size, so do their needs…