Early Civilizations

From 3000 BC to 1500 BC four civilizations arose that historians to this day marvel at, the Egyptians, the Sumerians, the Indus River Valley people, and the Shang dynasty in China. They all had great accomplishments in government, and religion and inventions. While they had their own different civilizations many similarities arise, such as depending on the river and their polytheistic religions. They had very isolated civilizations with the exception of the Sumerians. The geography, religion, and their governments all contributed to their success as a civilization.

The Egyptians were situated in northern Africa around the Nile. The Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Nubian Desert, and Libyan Desert were the natural boundaries that made the Egyptians very isolated. Also, the Indus Ri

. . .

View the whole essay, without interruption

The polytheistic religions of the early civilizations were rather similar. Sumerians also had a polytheistic religion, and like the Egyptians each region or city-state worship a local god primarily. ver valley civilization was rather isolated, with water to the east and west, the Hindu Kush and Himalayas to the North. On the contrary the Sumerians were not isolated at all in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Lindsey Jones

February 6, 2000

Jacumin~3

. The Egyptians had pharaohs, which were considered to have a god’s blood. The Shang dynasty was situated in China over the Yellow River.

All four civilizations were different but significantly similarly in the sense that they all relied on the water for transportation water for irrigation. Each city-state was governed independently and had their own kings. Mesopotamia was in the Fertile Crescent, which was why many invaders invaded their land, ultimately crushing them. In Sumeria had twelve city-states that were very populated somewhere from 20,000 to 250,000 people in each. They pictured their gods as having little regard for human life. Egyptians also had a main god Osiris, who was god of the Nile. They also believed that ancestors were able to go between through gods and people. The Egyptians also worshiped local gods.

Approximate Word count = 549
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Simply subscribe to view this paper, and 100,000 others.