Oldest Civilization In The World - An Overview (2024)

The oldest recorded civilization in the world is the Mesopotamia civilization. Overall, the 4 oldest civilizations of the world are Mesopotamia Civilization, Egyptian Civilization, Indus Valley Civilization, and Chinese Civilization. This article will briefly throw light on the oldest civilizations of the world.

Oldest Civilization in the World – Mesopotamia Civilization

  • Mesopotamia is a place situated in the middle of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
  • This region is now a part of Iraq.
  • Mesopotamian civilization was known for the advancements it made in the field of astronomy, mathematics, and literature.
  • Mesopotamian civilization was very prosperous.
  • Sumerian was the language which was initially used in the Mesopotamian civilization.
  • Later on it was gradually replaced by the Akkadian civilization.

One of the Oldest Civilizations in the World – Egyptian Civilization

  • Egyptian civilization developed along the river Nile.
  • There was rich soil to grow crops due to the annual flooding of the river Nile.
  • Egyptians had written records, and their writing system is known as hieroglyphics.
  • The rulers of Egyptian civilization built massive monuments to demonstrate and maintain their power.

One of the Oldest Civilizations in the World – Indus Valley Civilization

  • Harappan Civilization was also known as Indus Valley Civilization as the most significant shreds of evidence of the achievements of the Indus Valley civilization were excavated from Harappa.
  • Apart from the Harappa, some of the important sites of the Indus Valley Civilization were Dholavira, Mohenjodaro, Ganweriwala, Lothal, Kalibangan, Surkotada, etc.
  • The two most prominent sites were Harappa and Mohenjodaro, both of which are currently located in present-day Pakistan.

Indus Valley Civilization – Citadel

Many of the cities in the Indus Valley Civilization (Harappa) were divided into two or more parts.

  • The Eastern part of the city was lower but larger in size. The Western part of the city was higher but they were smaller in size.
  • This is the Citadel as described by the Archaeologists.
  • In some of the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, special buildings were constructed on the Citadel.

Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Civilization) – Worship

  • People of the Indus Valley Civilization practised Nature worship and Yoni Worship.
  • People of the Indus Valley Civilization worshipped Fire, called Havan Kund, trees like Peepal, Mother Goddess also known as Shakti or Matridevi.
  • The people of the Indus valley civilization worshipped animals like Ox and Unicorn.
  • The lord of animals was Pashupati Mahadev.

Harappan Civilization – Urban Planning

  • The streets of the Harappan Civilization were well planned.
  • The streets of the Harappan Civilization had a proper system of waste disposal, lighting, drainage, and water supply.
  • In the Harappan Civilization, the drainage system was well-structured.
  • Each house had a proper drainage system which was connected to the drainage system of the streets.
  • The houses in the cities were well planned.
  • The materials used for building purposes were sun-dried bricks and burnt bricks.
  • Houses had separate bathing areas.
  • The houses were one or two-storeyed.

Related Links

CBSE Notes Class 6 History Chapter 3 – In the Earliest CitiesIndus Valley Civilization (2500 BC) – 100 Must-Know Facts about IVC
Urban and Town planning of the Harappan CivilizationWrite the characteristics features of Harappan civilization
Major Sites in Indus Valley CivilizationNCERT Notes: Indus Valley Civilization – Art & Culture

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1

What are the 4 oldest civilization?

The 4 oldest civilizations of the world are Mesopotamia Civilization, Egyptian Civilization, Indus Valley Civilization, and Chinese Civilization.

Q2

Which country is youngest?

South Sudan is the youngest country in the world. It attained independence in 2011 after many years of civil war.

Q3

Who was the first world power?

There were many powerful countries in the world. After the age of industrialisation, some of the most powerful countries were the British empire, Germany under Hitler etc. After the 2nd world war, the USA and the Soviet Union were the two superpowers in the world. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the USA remained the sole superpower of the world.

Q4

Which country has most old population?

Japan has the oldest population in the world. Around 29 per cent of the Japanese people are above the age of 65 years.

Oldest Civilization In The World - An Overview (2024)

FAQs

Oldest Civilization In The World - An Overview? ›

The oldest recorded civilization in the world is the Mesopotamia civilization. Overall, the 4 oldest civilizations of the world are Mesopotamia Civilization, Egyptian Civilization, Indus Valley Civilization, and Chinese Civilization. This article will briefly throw light on the oldest civilizations of the world.

What is the real oldest civilization in the world? ›

1. Mesopotamia, 4000-3500 B.C. Meaning “between two rivers” in Greek, Mesopotamia (located in modern-day Iraq, Kuwait and Syria) is considered the birthplace of civilization.

Which world civilization was first? ›

Scholars generally acknowledge six cradles of civilization: Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient India, and Ancient China are believed to be the earliest in Afro-Eurasia (previously called the Old World), while the Caral-Supe civilization of coastal Peru and the Olmec civilization of Mexico are believed to be the ...

Is there a civilization older than Mesopotamia? ›

Was there any civilization on earth before ancient Egypt or ancient Mesopotamia? Yes, both Egypt and Mesopotamian culture began around 3500 BC. In India and Pakistan the earliest Indus Valley civilization sites date from the 8th millenium BC.

Who came before the Sumerians? ›

A prehistoric people who lived in the region before the Sumerians have been termed the "Proto-Euphrateans" or "Ubaidians", and are theorized to have evolved from the Samarra culture of northern Mesopotamia.

What is the oldest race on Earth? ›

A new genomic study has revealed that Aboriginal Australians are the oldest known civilization on Earth, with ancestries stretching back roughly 75,000 years.

What is the oldest recorded human history? ›

Archaeologists have discovered written records in Egypt from as early as 3200 BCE, which is the accepted date at which history "begins" there.

What is the oldest nation in the world? ›

Egypt. Egypt is the oldest country in the world if we accept its founding as 3150 B.C.E. That's the estimated beginning of the reign of Narmer, the first king of the first dynasty of Egypt, and the end of the period considered predynastic or ancient Egypt. The Narmer Palette (circa 3200-3000 B.C.E.)

What civilization existed 10,000 years ago? ›

The oldest civilisation on earth is believed to be Mesopotamia which is 10,000 years old. But humans have been around for 200,000 years.

Which is older, Babylon or Egypt? ›

Answer and Explanation: The Babylonian Empire did not predate the birth of civilization in Egypt. Most historians and archeologists put Egyptian civilization beginning sometime around 3100 BCE, some 12 centuries before the rise of the Babylonian Empire.

What race were the Sumerians? ›

the most likely birthplace of the Sumerian people. The Arabian Peninsula: The simplest and most obvious conclusion is that the Sumerians were a Semitic people, just like their Akkadian neighbors and everyone else in the region (bear in mind that Semitic doesn't just mean Jewish, it also means Arabic).

What color were the Sumerians? ›

The Sumerians and Akkadian likely looked much like the current population of the region — darker than Europeans and lighter than sub-Saharan Africans.

Who were the Sumerians in the Bible? ›

Yes, the Sumerians are mentioned in the Bible. They are referred to as the ''migrants from the east'', the Nephilims, Anunnaki, the Watchers, the Fallen ones, Men of Renown, Giants in Knowledge and the Sons of God. They are the creators of the ''Brick'' culture.

Was there civilization 7000 years ago? ›

The Mehrgarh chalcolithic civilization began around 7000 BC. The world population is believed to have been stable and slowly increasing.

Which civilization is 5000 years old? ›

It is often said that Chinese civilization extends back 5,000 years.

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