Compare and Contrast Indus and Shang

World History AP
Part B Compare and Contrast Essay Ancient civilizations could be very complex or very simple, it depended on who ruled them and controlled them. Shang and Indus were very much alike in how they were built, but they were very different to in how the people in them lived. There are many similarities between ancient civilizations Indus and Shang. In these civilizations they had a good defense system. Shang’s capital city was surrounded by thick walls to protect them from attacks by enemies or from floods. Indus had citadel with mud brick walls. The people could hide there if they were being attacked. The soils in both of their lands were very fertile, leading to all of the farming that went on. There were many farmers as well as craftsmen. You can tell the kinds of occupations that were there by the tools that were left behind. In both civilizations there were things such as plows, utensils, and bronze tools found. Though these civilizations are similar in many ways they are also very different. Indus has a very good drainage system, it’s a network of drains and wells that are connected all around the city to help it drain and help keep the city cleaner. They also had a road system, the streets were very straight and narrow. It helped link together different parts of the city. Shang had a very well planned city, the king divided it out into villages and smaller cities. They also had good facilities, like palaces, storage places, and temples. Their houses were very well built. The richer lived up on higher foundations while the poor lived in sunken mud houses with thatched roofs and low walls. Ancient civilizations are very interesting because they were all alike but all different. Kind of like the way todays cities and states are. It depends on who is in charge of them and the people that live there that shapes how it is. Shang and Indus were very much alike in how they were built, but they were very different to in how the people in them