Ancient Civilizations Of Sumer, Egypt, India, And China

The early civilizations of the world developed many revolutionary innovations that would pave the way for future generations. Many of these ancient innovations have been refined for modern use, making our society that much more efficient. The civilizations of Sumer, Egypt, India, and China were at the forefront of ancient creativity. Their innovations, though different in many ways, all contributed to the society we live in today.
The Sumerians, for instance, developed the wheel, which is known as one of the most impactful innovations ever created. The circular shape made transportation and travel that much easier for the ancient society. The Sumerians were also the first to utilize bronze, and their society began the Bronze Age. Their final,
The practice of mummification was revolutionary in terms of the preservation of corpses, and has allowed us to learn more about Egyptian religious practices and preservation techniques for organic material. The development of papyrus made communication and writing much easier. It also allowed scribes to log their work and develop literature about various subjects. Though our knowledge of them is restricted, we do know the Indus Valley civilization was responsible for the innovation of straight roads, which increased efficiency and aided organization. They were also responsible for fire-baked bricks, which strengthened their construction and made their work much sturdier. Finally, the Indus Valley civilization, or modern day India, was responsible for creating a system of measurements, which not only do we use to this day, but also aided organization and precision in their construction. Ancient Chinese civilization was responsible for the creation of silk, which later became one of the most desired products in China. They were also responsible for the creation of jade artifacts and the Chinese New Year, both of which helped modern archaeologists learn about the culture and sophistication of ancient
The Sumerian civilization developed the very first form of writing, called cuneiform. Sumerians also employed scribes to log their information. They were the first civilization to record their trade transactions, a practice which would later spread. They also employed pictographs as a form of writing. Egypt created a similar innovation with the usage of hieroglyphics. The development of papyrus made it easier for the Egyptians to record information, and in turn, helped them create literature and keep accounts. The Egyptians also began the practice of long-distance communication. The Rosetta Stone was revolutionary for translating hieroglyphics into ancient Greek, which helped reveal the culture and history of ancient Egypt. The Indus Valley civilization used seals with animals on them, depicting a form of picture writing that no one has been able to decode. The Chinese oracle bones were the earliest examples of writing, with the Chinese characters still being in use today. Literacy, though, was restricted to certain classes in ancient Chinese civilization. Only certain people among the upper class could afford to master the language. All of these civilizations developed a writing system, though one of which could never be decoded. The development of written language helped these civilizations record their