Chapter 3 1st Civilizations

A lot of the earliest civilizations had some fascinating features that made them stand out in their time. They gave people structure in their lives, economic stability, and governments that enforced laws to maintain the established order. However, there were pockets of people that felt man mustn't forget his connection to nature, of which is where he sprang from. This, in some way, can be seen today by small numbers of people, who have grown tired of the complex, structural benefits of society. Back during the times of the first civilizations, society was organized in the manner of how the leader saw to press the progress occuring within his reign and maintain discipline among his people. A lot of the times, leaders would go to harsh extremes to compel obedience from the people, who did what the leader proclaimed to be wrong. Vast skills in economics, wealth, and status often divided people unequally, which were the main causes for many to leave the comforts of scoiety. The old days of the Agricultural Revolution were not like this in the sense that everyone was equal, economically and socially. Often, civilizations would devour another way of life and force those people to assimulate into their own. Back in the days of the Old West, this was the perfect example of what the United States of America did in order to deal with its Native American population. Similar to how the ancient civilizations stomped over small pockets of nomadic tribes, US troops had many battles with the Indians and forced a large number of them into reservations, which were of the poorest conditions. The Native Americans were looked down upon as blood thirsty savages who stood in the way of progress. They were to either assimulate into American society or be wiped out. Now while many ways of life were exterminated, different kinds of civilizations arose. Egypt and Mesopotamia are the one of most recognized civilizations for their different forms of written language, cultures, and yet they both had their differences. Egypt was more an unified terretorial state, while Mesopotamia had a rich culture that spread much of its customs to the regions surrounding its boundaries. I thought it was interesting reading about Norte Chico, a rather unknown, distinctive civilization that didn't rest entirely on grain farming, but largely on fishing. They had no pottery, no written language, and no farming of any kind. Archeologists could find no traces of warfare that took place in Norte Chico, while interestingly enough, the cities were not guarded by any defensive walls. It was self contained civilization that sought no trade or commerce with any outsiders, aside from the collecting of corn. Another advanced civilization came out of this ancient within Mesopotamia, Uruk. Many people in this city had different hobbies that helped keep the city alive, while there were bureaucrats that adminstered the city. Equally impressive was the sister city of Mohenjo Daro, which had incredible plumbing and a complex sewer system Two - three story houses were all lined up along the streets and magnificent public buildings gave the city its grace and dignity. It's truly captivating how these civilizations progressed even when they didn't have the technology we use today. Then again, how they were established and improved laid the foundation of societial progress for every generation. We can build houses, cities, cathedrals, fountains, churches, etc. in a similar fashion that our ancient ancestors created and expand on it if desired to.