Tamanna
HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION
The Harappan
Civilization
The Indus River Valley Civilization, also known as Harappan civilization,
developed the first accurate system of standardized weights and measures,
some as accurate as to 1.6 mm. Harappans created sculpture, seals, pottery,
and jewelry from materials, such as terracotta, metal, and stone.
The civilization dates back to around 3300 BCE and lasted until about 1300
BCE, making it contemporaneous with ancient Mesopotamia and ancient
Egypt.
Harappan Civilization Timeline
3300 BCE 2500-1900 BCE 1800-1300 BCE
Emergement Well planned cities
and drainage system
Abandonment of cities
2600 BCE 1900 BCE 1300 BCE
Harappa and Mohenjo daro Decline phase Started fading into history
Key features of
Harappan Civilization
Urban Centers:
Cities: Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and others were well-planned
urban centers with sophisticated drainage systems, brick-lined
streets, and advanced architecture.
Infrastructure: They had impressive structures like the Great
Bath, public wells, granaries, and multi-story houses.
Key features of
Harappan Civilization
Trade and Economy: Flourishing trade with Mesopotamia,
Afghanistan, and other regions; evidence of seals, pottery, and
goods exchanged.
Craftsmanship: Skilled craftsmanship in pottery, metallurgy, and
bead-making. Intricately designed seals indicate a system of
writing (yet to be fully deciphered).
• Each city was divided into two parts-the raised area called the
'Citadel' and the 'lower town.
decline of Harappan
Civilization
The reasons for the civilization's decline around 1900-
1300 BCE are debated. Possible causes include
environmental changes, such as drying up of the
Saraswati River, leading to shifts in agriculture and
migration.
Invasion theories and internal conflicts are also
suggested, although there's no conclusive evidence
legacy of Harappan
Civilization
Despite its decline, the Harappan Civilization left a
significant impact on subsequent cultures in the Indian
subcontinent.
Many aspects of its culture, trade practices, and possibly
some religious elements might have influenced later
societies in the region.
Tamanna
EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION
Egyptian Civilization
Egypt was a vast kingdom of the ancient world. It was unified around 3100
B.C.E. and lasted as a leading economic and cultural influence throughout
North Africa and parts of the Levant until it was conquered by the
Macedonians in 332 B.C.E.
Ancient Egypt, Its many achievements, preserved in its art and
monuments, hold a fascination that continues to grow as archaeological
finds expose its secrets.
history of Egyptian Civilization
Early Periods:
Predynastic Period (c. 6000–3150 BCE): The earliest settlements
along the Nile River; development of agriculture and social structures.
Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150–2686 BCE): Unification of Upper and
Lower Egypt under King Narmer, establishing the first Egyptian
dynasty.
Old Kingdom (c. 2686–2181 BCE):
Pyramids: Construction of monumental pyramids at Giza,
including the Great Pyramid of Giza, during the reigns of
pharaohs like Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.
Centralized Government: Strong centralized government,
with pharaohs considered divine rulers and a hierarchical
society.
Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1650 BCE):
Reunification: After a period of fragmentation, the country
reunified under Mentuhotep II.
Cultural Advancements: Flourishing arts, literature, and
monumental architecture. Development of a more humane view of
the afterlife.
New Kingdom (c. 1550–1077 BCE):
Imperial Expansion: Egypt reached its peak of power,
expanding through military conquests under rulers like Thutmose
III and Ramses II.
Cultural Achievement: Prolific building, notable queens (e.g.,
Hatshepsut), and the religious shift to the worship of Amun-Ra.
legacy of Egyptian Civilization
Legacy:
Hieroglyphic Writing: Elaborate writing system comprising
hieroglyphs, hieratic, and demotic scripts.
Art and Architecture: Monumental temples, pyramids, sphinxes, and
exquisite art, showcasing advanced craftsmanship.
Religion and Beliefs: Complex religious beliefs, with a pantheon of
gods and emphasis on the afterlife, as seen in elaborate tombs and
funerary practices.
Tamanna
MESOPOAMIAN
CIVILIZATION
MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATION
Ancient Mesopotamia, often referred to as the cradle of civilization, was once
home to some of the most influential cities in human history.
Mesopotamia is a Greek word for ‘Land between two rivers.’ It’s the region of
Western Asia located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Additionally,
it’s home to the area known as the fertile crescent, where the first evidence of
agriculture was found. Here the first human civilizations were taking the
earliest steps from hunter-gatherer societies into settled community.
ARCHITECTURE OF
MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATION
The Mesopotamian civilization emerged in the fertile lands between the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers, present-day Iraq and parts of Syria, Turkey, and Iran. It's often
regarded as one of the earliest cradles of civilization.
Mesopotamian architecture, characterized by ziggurats, temples, and monumental
structures like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, showcased advanced engineering in
mud-brick construction. Ziggurats, stepped pyramids serving as religious centers,
dominated the skyline, while intricate arches, vaults, and the use of baked bricks laid
the groundwork for architectural evolution.
EARLY MESOPOTAMIAN
CIVILIZATION
Sumerians (c. 4000–2000 BCE): Among the earliest known
Mesopotamian people who developed city-states like Uruk, Ur, and Lagash.
They created the world’s first writing system, cuneiform.
Akkadians (c. 2334–2154 BCE): Led by Sargon the Great, they
established the Akkadian Empire, considered the first known empire in
history.
achievements and society
Writing: Cuneiform script on clay tablets for administrative, literary, and
religious purposes.
Technology: Advancements in irrigation, mathematics, astronomy, and the
invention of the wheel.
Religion: Polytheistic beliefs with gods like Enlil, Marduk, and Ishtar;
ziggurats served as temples.
decline and legacy
Decline: Various factors contributed to the decline, including invasions,
internal strife, and changes in climate and environment.
Legacy: Influential in law, mathematics, literature (Epic of Gilgamesh), and
astronomy. The legacy of cuneiform writing, urban development, and legal
codes continued to impact later civilizations
