The
civilizations that emerged in the Indus River Valley and in Mesopotamia were some of the
earliest major societies to develop. They share a number of significant similarities. Let's look
at some of the major traits they shared and differed in.
The civilizations in
both these places built some of the earliest known cities and towns. They tended to place an
important palace or temple atop an acropolis, either in the center of the city or near its edge.
Because of the frequent threat of invasions, the Sumerians and Assyrians of Mesopotamia and the
civilizations of the Indus River Valley built fortified walls around their towns. Urban centers
were usually larger in Mesopotamia, where they supported a larger population of city dwellers.
In the Indus River Valley, cities served more as economic and political centers, and the
majority of the population lived in rural villages.
Trade was an important
part of the economy for civilizations in both locations. They even traded with each other. The
rivers were utilized as trade routes, and bronze goods and cash crops such as cotton and linen
were frequently bought and sold in their market towns.
They both had creative
uses of technology that served their economy. Both were some of the earliest users of the wheel,
both for transportation purposes and for making pottery. Extensive irrigation systems were
developed and used in both regions as well.
Both civilizations kept extensive
written records. Unfortunately, the Indus River Valley script has not been deciphered. We do
know that both used clay tablets to record their writings. In Mesopotamia, these tablets
recorded commercial transactions and legal decisions. It is possible that they served the same
function in the Indus River Valley.
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