Geographical Influences on Early Civilazations
...carried the granite to build the pyramids. The Nile River went through periods of inundation and relinquishment. The greatest fertility of the soil in Egypt was during the inundation. The Nile rose in early July, and in October it went down, leaving rich black soil. Black soil retained enough moisture to grow crops year round. People that lived around the Nile created man-made water basins to trap water when the river rose, in order to be able to farm effectively throughout the year. Egyptians built a system of dikes around 3500 BCE and grew more crops (I.e. wheat, barley, beans, lettuce, peas, olives, figs). The Nile River supplied the Egyptians with fish which they cultivated year round. The Egyptians kept cattle and water fowl. Water fowl (geese) supplied the Egyptians with fat, meat and eggs. Cattle was a main staple for the Egyptians which suggests they must have had grazing land during the time when the Nile receded. During inundation, cattle were brought to higher levels of land and were fed the grain harvested from the year before. (G&A) Indus Valley civilazation were made up of people whom were intricately tied to their environment. India is made up of deserts, forest, mountains and jungles. These are all susceptible to monsoons, floods and droughts. India bears the most extremes of geological and climatic features, these conditions was a great asset to early civilizations. Himalayan mountains was a deterent against invasions from the north, and other mountain ranges provided the same protection in the west and east. The cities were built right upon the shores of the Indus River. However, this river is destructive and unpredictable in floods, and the cities were washed away by the forces of nature. They planned cities and towns built on huge mud brick platforms to protect inhabitits from floods. In large cities houses were built of baked brick, and in smaller towns houses were built of sun-dried mud brick. The snow melting and seasonal monsoon rains, the plains had lush, rich soil that provided “fertile agricultural land, grazing grounds, fish, abundant wild animals and forest ...