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History 8 India Ancient India Workbook
9. The Indus River civilization is one of four ancient civilizations shown here. From this map, what major geographical feature did these civilizations have in common?
The major geographical feature that is shared by the four civilizations is the river. Rivers provided fresh, drinkable water, which is absolutely necessary for humanity, thus making it the basis for life. The rivers flooded regularly enriching the soil, and the soil was then used in farming. The rivers were also used to create irrigation systems for agricultural and sanitation purposes. The rivers were further useful in the creation of trade routes, and trading was supported by the agricultural surplus created from irrigation and flooding. Trading also caused the formation and spreading of new ideas and innovations that revolutionized these civilizations. One such example is writing, and one of its earliest uses was to keep account of the trading of items. By utilizing the rivers, civilizations were able to set strong foundations necessary for growing and prospering.
Sources
- http://history.cultural-china.com/en/181History5917.html
- http://wps.ablongman.com/long_stearns_wc_4/17/4387/1123165.cw/index.html
- http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-maps/river-valley-civilizations-map.html
Justin Kao
10. What details seem to reveal the most about the ruins in Illustration? What details are hardest to interpret?
The ruins in the illustration suggest that the people had a settled life along the river where they grow crops and food. The huge walls that they made show that they were somewhat protected from the outside and the bricks show that they were very skilled craftsman with thoughtful technology and innovation. The ditch running through the village suggests that there was once an irrigation system that went all the way through the town. The pit next to the wall was probably used for fire and was a place where people could gather around and tell stories and perform traditions. The scattered walls and piles of brick are very hard to interpret because it is hard to figure out what they would have been used for. A great way to figure out what most of the things were utilized for is to use the theory of Uniformitarionism; if anything looks similar to what is used today, then that is probably what it was used for in the past. Overall, these ruins show many things about how the people lived their civilized lives, and they tell many things about the old civilization.
Sources
- History Manual Page 169
- Beniretto Video Notes 3/19/13
Byrn Ledbetter
