The World - Early advanced civilisations
Geographical discoveries
978-3-14-100890-6 | Page 28 | Ill. 1
Overview
Advanced civilisations in the early phase of history are human societies that are distinguished by certain characteristics. These include a developed organisation of the economy (e.g. division of labour), of the administration, and a hierarchical structure of society (king - priests - officials - peasants - slaves). slaves). In addition, advanced civilisations form larger settlements, centred around temples to practice religion. An advanced civilisation is based on the knowledge of writing or at least a preliminary stage of it.
Spatial distribution
The earliest civilisations were the Sumerians, the inventors of cuneiform writing, in southern Mesopotamia, and the Elam in western Babylonia. 5000 years ago, the Egyptians formed an advanced civilisation in the lower Nile delta that lasted for several thousand years. Early centres were Memphis, Thebes and Heliopolis. In the Indus Valley and what is now Pakistan, there was the Harappa culture and Mohenjo-Daro, named after their urban centres.
Those first advanced civilisations developed in warm areas along rivers. While the Mesopotamian empires were founded on the Euphrates and Tigris, the Egyptians settled along the Nile and the Harappa culture along the Indus. The regular floods made the land fertile, which made it possible to practice intensive agriculture. These good conditions made it easier for the wandering hunter-gatherers to settle down as farmers and cattle breeders. In order to enable a conflict-free coexistence, a special organisation of daily life was necessary. The construction of dams, the distribution of scarce fertile land, the allocation of water use, and the accumulation of grain stocks required long-term planning. In almost all advanced civilisations, a religion developed alongside the political hierarchy, which supported the ruler, who was appointed by the gods.
Relations between advanced civilisations
The extent to which the advanced civilisations interacted with each other is not clear, but trade relations between the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians appeared relatively early. The invention of writing cannot be traced back to a specific advanced civilisation either. It is assumed that writing was invented several times.
