the importance of major rivers to ancient...
TRANSCRIPT
Egyptians and Indus Valley Civilizations
• Egyptian Civilization (3100BC-330BC)
• Indus River Valley Civilization
(3300BC-1300BC)
The Beginning of the Egyptian Empire
• Movement of Sumerians to the Nile
• Created small tribes turned into Chiefdoms
The Beginning of the Egyptian Empire
• These small tribes grew and expanded • Mainly with the advent of technology and coinage
• With the help of the Nile, the tribes established contact with one another • This soon led to a politically unified, and 1st kingdom of Egypt.
Agriculture and the Nile
• Egypt called “Kemet” • “Black land”
• The people of the Nile relied on Seasonal Floods • The silt and minerals deposited left very rich farm land
Agriculture and the Nile
• Provided much more than just substance to feed a growing population
• Allowed for the cultivation of the papyrus plant • Helped give a writing source to the people
Political Importance of the Nile
• The Nile River, as mentioned earlier, allowed for people to be unified easier • The river plain provided the only outlet from barren desert
• Therefore less area to rule
• Not to mention the Nile allowed for the transport of goods and services • Allowed for grandiose monuments and massive labor force
Political Importance of the Nile
• Pharaohs of Egypt were judged based upon the Nile • Nile flooding=good, Nile drought=Bad
• Historians can attribute low-river discharge, with unrest
The Nile and the Gods
• In the eyes of the Egyptians, the Nile was a direct result of their gods • It’s fertility, in the eyes of the people, was a result of Osiris
• The Nile mirrored the beliefs of the God
The Nile and the Gods
• A ruler must appease the gods • Ensure the Nile floods
• Build and creation of temples
• Rulers who did, ruled long and prospered
Egypt One of Many?
• The Indus River Valley Civilization (3300-1300BC)
• Way ahead of its time
• Why?
• The Indus River
The Indus and Agriculture
• Irrigation allowed for expansion of cities • Desert areas now available to farm
• Created “Suburban” agricultural zones
Purity and Divinity of the Indus River
• Like the Egyptians, Indus people believed their river was divine • It was the life blood of their cities
• The river also symbolized purity • Used in rituals to the Gods
• Even punishable if tainted
Technological uses of the Indus
• Built levees • Protected against average seasonal floods
• Constructed Aqueducts • Facilitated water movement
Technological uses of the Indus
• These aqueducts allowed for running water/sewage in cities • Earliest civilization
• 500 years before the Greeks in Crete
Erase from the History Books
• The Indus River went through extensive flooding
•Went over the levees
• Drowned agricultural lands
Drought and Shift of River
• After extensive flooding, large sand and sediment deposits left
• These sediment deposits began to build shifting the river
The End of Indus Civilization
• This shift in the river led to devastating droughts • Droughts worsened the famines, and ruined infrastructure
• Eventually, this left the Empire on its knees
Why are these case studies important?
• Show us the significance that rivers have on peoples lives • Stretches far beyond the just the water itself
• Allows for the development of empires