The challenges of the word “civilization
Stop! Quick- write down the first 5 things you think of when you hear the word “civilization”
before reading on:
We tend to call the complex hierarchical societies that developed as a result of the switch to
agriculture civilizations. Historically the word civilization tended to imply that that society
was superior to other types of societies. Civilizations have brought us great art, architecture,
technology, writing, but not all that they brought has been entirely positive. As historian
Robert Strayer writes, “massive inequalities, state oppression, slavery, large-scale warfare,
the subordination of women, and epidemic disease also come along with these complex
societies.”
Strayer goes on to write that another problem with the term “civilization” is that it can give
one the impression that there were clear boundaries where a civilization began and ended
and that everyone in that area had a shared identity. In these early societies, most people
had a stronger sense of belonging to a village or a family group or to a group of people with
a shared occupation. That said, civilization is a word that is commonly used and it workswe just have to be conscious of its history and the pros and cons of a hierarchical society.
Question on the word “Civilization”
1. Look at the list you wrote above about what came to mind when you heard the term
civilization. (if you didn’t do write out a list, do it now ) Were your terms generally
positive or negative? Why do you think your list was more positive, or negative? What
about your experience informed your opinion?
The questions raised by the Indus River Valley Civilization (3300
BCE-1300 BCE….. 2000 years!)
One possible exception to this general trend towards jarring inequality may be the Indus
River Valley civilization that developed in what is today Pakistan and part of Afghanistan. As
we are beginning to start the year studying South Asia, it seems appropriate to mention one
of the more mysterious early civilizations that just happens to be right in this area. A
collection of cities including those named Harappa and Mohenjo Daro (another name for the
“Indus River Valley Civilization” is “Harappan civilization”are all located along the Indus
River valley (hence the name, right?).
The archeological digs on these cities have revealed some surprising results: they had at
least a basic written language which scholars have not yet been able to decipher, they
traded with Mesopotamia in modern day Iraq (quite a ways away as you recall…. We know
this because their clay seals have been found in ruins there), and their cities don’t feature
major defensive walls or large stockpiles of weapons. These cities also feature large
impressive public buildings but most of the foundations for the houses seem fairly uniform.
These observations have led scholars to wonder if these cities were without the massive
inequalities between rich and poor that we see in other early civilizations .Could the lack of
weapons suggests that perhaps they lived in an era of relative peace? The cities do feature
complex plumbing systems and precise architecture that indicates specialized workers and
a knowledge of mathematics. The civilization eventually fell into decline and people
abandoned the cities. Although we still don’t know exactly why, many of the newer theories
point to extended drought and climate change. There is interesting work being done on this
civilization – and people are still trying to decipher the language- hopefully we’ll learn more
about it in the coming decades.
Question:
1. List three things we know about the Indus River Valley civilization:
2. Much of what we know about the Indus River Valley civilization is from its city layout
that archeologists have been painstakingly uncovering. Think quickly about the layout
of your city- what are two substantial elements about the nature of this city that would
be revealed in the town’s layout?