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.
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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.
FAQs
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.
Was Mesopotamia the first civilization? ›
We believe Sumerian civilization first took form in southern Mesopotamia around 4000 BCE—or 6000 years ago—which would make it the first urban civilization in the region. Mesopotamians are noted for developing one of the first written scripts around 3000 BCE: wedge-shaped marks pressed into clay tablets.
What was the first country ever? ›
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.)
Is Sumerian the oldest civilization? ›
Sumer, site of the earliest known civilization, located in the southernmost part of Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in the area that later became Babylonia and is now southern Iraq, from around Baghdad to the Persian Gulf. A brief treatment of Sumerian civilization follows.
What is the oldest recorded history? ›
History refers to the time period after the invention of written records in a given culture or society. 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 civilization and country in the world? ›
1. Egypt. Egypt's history dates back more than 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest nations on Earth. Located in the northeastern corner of Africa, Egypt's ancient civilization thrived along the lush banks of the Nile River, making a lasting impression on human history.
What is the oldest country that still exists? ›
The Oldest Country in the World Is—Technically—San Marino | Condé Nast Traveler.
What country has the oldest age? ›
Asia and Europe are home to some of the world's oldest populations, those ages 65 and above. At the top is Japan at 28 percent, followed by Italy at 23 percent. Finland, Portugal, and Greece round out the top five at just under 22 percent.
Who was on Earth 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 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.
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).
Which civilization is 5000 years old? ›
Another definition of History would be to count the start of a civilization with its earliest mentions. The '5000 years' claim traces the origins of Chinese civilization to the “three sovereigns and five emperors” and the mythical Xia dynasty that are mentioned in numerous classics of Chinese folklore (Gordon, 2010).
Was there a civilization 10,000 years ago? ›
Around 10,000–7000 years ago (8000–5000 BC), humankind experienced perhaps its most important revolution. The Neolithic revolution, as it is called, forever changed the interaction between humans and the world around us by introducing the basic ingredient that makes civilization possible: agriculture.
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 empire in the world? ›
The earliest known empire was the Akkadian Empire. For around 1,000 years, Mesopotamia was dominated by city-states—small political units, where a city controlled its surrounding area. In 2330 BCE, Sargon of Akkad took control of southern Mesopotamia. He ruled from the city of Akkad, the center of his small empire.
