My Science School

 

Why were pyramids built?

                    Pyramid building developed only slowly in ancient Egypt. The first pyramids were simple structures called mastabas, which were platforms built over the tombs of important people. Over the years further levels were added, until a structure called a step pyramid was produced.

                        In later pyramids, the steps were filled in to produce the smooth conical shape of the famous Pyramids at Giza that we can see today. Pyramid building became an important part of the Egyptian civilization. Egyptians believed that the pyramids offered a pathway to heaven for their rulers, the pharaohs, who were buried with items they might need for the afterlife.

 

 

What were the Indus civilizations?

                         Several large civilizations developed in the Indus Valley, in what is now Pakistan and India. These civilizations built houses made from baked mud bricks. They also built toilets, wells and even bath houses. High protective walls surrounded the cities. Outside the cities, the people of the Indus civilizations cultivated cereal crops and dates and also made weapons and other items in bronze. Stone seals from the Indus civilizations have been found along the Persian Gulf and in the ruins of the city of Ur. The seals show how these ancient peoples developed extensive trade links. These civilizations collapsed in about 3500BC, because of invading tribes.

 

 

 

 

 

Who developed the earliest writing?

                        No one knows how the first writing system developed, because no records remain. The earliest known writing was recorded in the form of picture symbols on clay tablets by the ancient Sumerians, in around 3500BC. Hieroglyphics were a similar form of picture writing, and the oldest examples date from around 3000BC. Picture symbols were also used in the ancient Chinese writing that appeared in 1500BC. It is likely that all writing started this way, before shapes and letters were used to indicate sounds.

Pictures Credit: Google

 

When did metal working first develop?

                 Metal working seems to have been developed independently in several places in about 3500Bc.

                It appeared in China, India, Egypt and Mesopotamia at around this time. Bronze was the first metal to be worked.

 

 

 

Why did the Egyptian civilization develop?

                   The Egyptian civilization grew up as a result of the annual flooding of the River Nile. This provided a green and fertile strip of land that could be cultivated, even in an area that is mostly desert. Every year, when the Nile flooded, it deposited rich, fertile silt along its banks. The ancient Egyptians grew crops of barley, wheat and flax in the fertile soils. They used the flax to make linen for their clothes.

                   The river also provided the Egyptians with papyrus reed. They harvested the reed and used it to make a form of paper known as papyrus. It was easy to keep detailed written records on papyrus.

 

 

 

Where were the first cities?

                     The first known cities grew up in the Middle East, as much as 10,000 years ago. These ancient cities were built from stone and mud bricks. One city was destroyed to provide building materials for the next city on the same site, making it confusing to try to reconstruct them. Other ancient cities were built in present-day Turkey and China.

 

 

 

 

 

Who were the Sumerians?

                  The Sumerians developed the first known civilization, in 3500BC.They lived in Mesopotamia, a region between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in what is now modern Iraq. The Sumerians built large and elaborate cities, developed tax systems and government, and produced irrigation systems to water their crops.

                  Excavations of one major city, called Ur, showed signs of a great flood, which is thought to have been the Flood described in the Bible. The Sumerian civilization lasted for about 1,000 years.

Pictures Credit: Google