Compare the civilization in the Indus Valley with the civilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
All three civilizations were built around fertile river valleys. The resulting surplus production of foodstuffs supported a government, a religious infrastructure, and a middle class of merchants and artisans. All three civilizations also developed a complex system of writing to accompany the growth of government and urban life. While little is known about the Indus religion, Egyptians and Mesopotamians linked their religious beliefs and practices to the natural environment. Because of the size of the Indus River system, the civilization there was much larger than that in Mesopotamia. Whereas the Mesopotamian civilization was mainly urban, that of the Indus Valley was more dispersed and rural. Metals were more readily available in the Indus Valley, both those occurring naturally and those acquired through trade. Consequently, metal objects tended to be more utilitarian in design and more generally distributed throughout the population. Metal objects in Egypt and Mesopotamia, on the other hand, were more likely to have a decorative and ceremonial function.