Water is the precious resource that has been a driving factor of progess in the past and the determining factor of development in the future. Ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome, and China understood that water is not simply a valuable resource that is crucial to survival and is the very essence of life, but also an important prerequisite for further development. Many of these ancient civilizations flourished as a direct result of their close proximity to rivers and other water sources. The growth of these cities created a major problem in water delivery as these societies expanded deeper inland. The need for such delivery has sparked the development of these ancient civilizations technologically, economically, politically, and legally.
The need for a steady supply of water has sparked the technological development of ancient societies. The aerial photograph of a Pre-Roman city and a LANDMAT image of Mesopotamia reveal the irrigation systems that these ancient civilizations used. The extensive and widespread network of irrigation ditches in Mesopotamian proves that the Mesopotamians had the technology required to construct and maintain these man-made canals (Sources 1 and 2). While digging water canals and constructing dams were important, it did not solve the problem of delivering the water to the crop fields. Therefore water-transporting mechanisms such as the shaduf and the saqiya were constructed. The first water-lifting machine would be the shaduf, a simple lever mechanism that was used in ancient Egypt (Source 4). The shaduf consisted of a long stick that was attached to a bucket on one end and a rock on the other to act as a counterweight. These shadufs were quite small and simple in design making them econo...
... middle of paper ...
...of ancient civilizations. Water was such an important resource that the earliest laws made were not over land rights but rather of water rights. The ancient legal codes reflect the need for water regulation to settle disputes regarding its supply and distribution. Technological development was also closely related with water as new water transporting technique and machinery were developed to accommodate for water needs. The digging of ditches and canal benefitted the economy by allowing the irrigation of massive crop fields which led to a surplus of resources. These waterworks project required a massive labor force which shows how cities unified and worked together to accomplish such tasks. In conclusion, the need to obtain a steady supply of water has affected the development of ancient civilizations in many aspects and it continues to influence our society today.
The need for a steady supply of water affected the technological developments of ancient societies in a number of ways. The first is that it affected the placement and structure of ancient cities and structures as shown in Source 8 (44), 9 (45), and 11 (46). Source 8, Sima Qian’s Description of the Building of the Zhengguo Canal, ca. 100 B.C.E., discusses the rivalry between the Han and the Chinn, which were both located along the Ching River for easy access to water. Source 9, Suetonius’s Description of the Water Projects Undertaken by Emperor Claudius (r. 41-54 C.E.), talks of how Claudius filled his city with water by using an aqueduct and making a drainage canal, completely modifying the city and the usage of water in it. Source 11, Frontinus’s Discussion of Rome’s Water System, tells of making extraordinarily high arches to get water to the upper parts of Rome so that the rich districts could simplify the process of getting water. Next is that it caused larger and more complex structures to be built which we can see by comparing different sources, for example Source 3 (43) and Source 6 (43) the technological advancement is easily seen, the Shaduf only allowed on...
"Water Management in the Ancient World." Science and Its Times. Ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Student Resources in Context. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
The availability of clean water was a key concern of the Aztec community in order to complete activities such as cooking and bathing. In order to provide portable water, the Aztecs used clay conduits to deliver water
In today’s world there are many people that believe that the domain we live in today has flourished in wealth, and come a long way since the early ages. In the book “From the Tigris to the Tiber” Jones goes through the Roman, Greek and Egyptian Empires. He feels that if the these empires would admire the opportunities we have today and that they most likely would have taken better advantage of it than we do. In this paper, I will be discussing the Riverine Civilizations, the Mesopotamian civilizations, the beliefs, cultures, and developments of the Egyptians, and the advances of the Roman Empire.
Rooted in the conditions of water sources, reliable water not only impacted the formation of economies, but also helped them flourish.
The Nile and Indus River Valley civilizations were both unique civilizations in their own way in comparison. Yet despite being separated by thousands of miles there are similarities in these two ancient civilizations. It is seen that amongst ancient civilizations, rivers are fundamental for them to prosper and provide for a relatively stable society for which a people can grow and develop. There are general similarities with pinpoint differences as well as general differences with pinpoint similarities. Both civilizations have left their influence on human civilization and history, with their unique characteristics of their religion, way of life, social classes, cultures, technological advancements, government systems, rulers and notable
The ability to obtain abundant, pure water is a basic requirement for an individual’s well-being. Likewise, access to abundant, safe water is also indispensable for resilient agricultural crops as well as a thriving national economy. These requirements for pure water are so substantial that disputes amongst regional groups, states, as well as nations arise on a frequent basis regarding the rights to various water sources.
As the empire expanded, there was a need for more farmland, but there was not always a water source available. The Incas grew corn, cotton and squash. Garciasco de la Vega, speaking about the farming in the Incan Empire, said, “The engineers showed great cleverness and skill in supplying water for the crops since only scattered sections of the land could grow corn” (Document 4). Their success with irrigation helped them expand their empire. Without it, it would be more difficult for them to subsist in a growing empire.
The usage/control of waterways helped civilizations sprout in the past and in the present. Document 1 shows many examples of how control/usage of waterways helped sprout civilizations in the present and in the past. One example that is showed in document 1 is the Tigris and Euphrates River which helped civilizations sprout by providing hydraulic power and fresh water. Another example in document 1 is the Mekong River which helped civilizations sprout by the river provided irrigation to the crops. The next example from document 1 is the Yangtze River which helped civilizations sprout by it provided hydraulic power. Another example form document 1 is the Indus River which helped civilizations sprout by the river provides irrigation for the crops. The control/usage of the waterways give the essential’s for a civilization to start. In addition, the control/ usage of the waterways also made trade a lot easier.
Approximately 5500 years ago four of the worlds' most prestigious ancient river civilizations had emerged. Our world has been left in astonishment and awe wondering how these civilizations were developed. Egypt and Mesopotamia were the first ancient river civilizations to create cities and their own ways of living. Society, geography, and religion played an enormous role in the development of the ancient cities. Although there is evidence of early Sumerian contact with the Egyptians, Egypt's civilization was largely self-generated and its history and cultural patterns differed from Mesopotamia.
"Why Was the Wheel so Important to Mesopotamia?." Ask. N.p.. Web. 20 Nov 2013. .
Man's efforts to improve the environment in which he lives and improve their quality of life, then depend on the availability of water, there is a close correlation between key water quality and public health, including the ability to access water and the level of hygiene and water between abundance and economic and tourism growth.
The constructions of the temple-palace had large scale implications for the Mesopotamian landscape. It served as a symbolic entity for the city and towns that it was located in due to the tremendous height of these buildings that served as beacons that loomed over villages. These temples were perceived by many individuals who resided in these villages as homes for the deities. A wide cross section of villagers from various social backgrounds belonged to a particular temple in which they would worship. “The temple community comprised a cross section of the population: officials, priests, merchants, craftsmen, food-producers and slaves.” (174 Temple-Palace) Due to the great spiritual investment that was placed within these temples it prompted much time and labor to be invested into their construction. These temples also served as an outlet in which to take care of underprivileged citizens who were poor, orphaned or physically incapable of earning a living. Besides the fact that these temples provided support to the community it also supported the government sector as well. “The activities of the temple coordinated the construction of irrigation canals that often involved the cooperation of several communities.” (174 Temple-Palace) The temple-palace served a variety of integral roles to the villages and cities located within Mesopotamia. Temples intially did not immediately serve all these features within communities in Mesopotamia. Through examining specific periods on the Mesopotamian plain we will further understand how the temple-palaces evolved over the centuries within Mesopotamia and how they eventually became centralized within the community.
One very important advancement was the irrigation system. This system supplies dry land with water by means of ditches, pipes, or st...
In developing countries, passing along technical information for maintaining pumps and sanitizing the local water supply will help not only relieve the burden of responsibility, but allow them to maintain a constant supply. Factories and cleaning facilities establish jobs and financial stability when in the right hands. Knowledge of finances and business will help establish revenue and economic stimulation, thus allowing for better technology for survival in the future. Technological innovations in developed and developing countries will allow war-torn states to have more access to water than previously known.... ...