Mesopotamia and Indus

Historians dissect the mysterious unknown of time before written history by following artifacts left behind by early civilizations into the past. An important key to understanding the past is to decide what features civilizations had in common, and what features they did not share. The beginnings of civilizations formed mostly in areas with a temperate climate, a nearby water source, fertile soil, and natural recourses close by. Settled in two such regions lie Mesopotamia and The Indus Valley, the former using massive amounts of slave labor to make use of the violently volatile Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and the ladder enjoying the benefits of being snuggled between the Ganges and Indus Rivers, which flooded on a predictable schedule. Historical artifacts from both Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley Civilization help historians understand their distinct economies, technology, and religions. Although these early civilizations share many of the same key features that allowed them to thrive, Mesopotamia and The Indus Valley Civilization have extreme differences that make categorizing them as one and the same inexcusable.


Both Mesopotamia and the Indus River Valley Civilization had economies focused around agriculture and trade. They both grew plants such as barley, wheat, dates, figs, and peas, but flax was a major crop in Mesopotamia alone. Each sustained methods of irrigation, but because it came easier to the Indus River Valley, they relied less on slaves than Mesopotamians. Trade was also a major economic factor. Due to their relatively close proximity, they often traded goods such as cotton cloth, beads, precious stones, pottery and other art with each other. Intricate seals from the Indus Valley were found on goods in Mesopotamia and bronze native to Mesopotamia and not the Indus Valley was found in areas of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, confirming their interaction. The seals used by the Indus River Valley Civilization indicate an emphasis on making their work identifiable. Although they both relied on agriculture and trade to sustain their economies, each had distinct approaches when it came down to what they grew, what they traded, and the concern of marking of trade goods.

Neither of these civilization would have flourished the way they did without their technology. Mesopotamia is believed to be the first to invent the wheel, the plow, the base-60 number system, and cuneiform. The Indus Valley civilization developed an exact measuring and weighing system, a uniform brick size, and a system of indoor plumbing that relied on gravity to carry waste away. Indus buildings were also built at an angle to catch the wind -- an early form of air conditioning. The Indus River Valley engaged in manufacturing of technology so much that the word industry is derived from it. Both made very important technological strides, but where Mesopotamia had an abundance of weaponry, the Indus had little to none. Mesopotamia developed newer and better arrowheads, axes, knives, longswords, daggers, clubs, and armor. To compete with this, the Indus had spears, most of which were discovbered to have been used for mere agriculture. The lack of weapon technology is explained by the Indus Valley Civilization's peaceful nature; no substantial evidence of war has ever been found in the region. Although both made great strides, Mesopotamia invented the wheel (which led to many other technological advancements), developed the first system of writing, and created much more technology focused around war.


One of the best ways to understand the mentalities and values of any civilization is to analyze their religions. Both Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley Civilization practiced polytheistic religion through prayers, holy rituals, hymns, and pottery. However, here ends the majority of their similarities. Because Mesopotamia dealt with constant fluctuation between devastating bursts of flooding and drought, they placed a special emphasis on religion and particularly anyone they believed could placate the seemingly random and violent mood swings of the gods. Religion in Mesopotamia was also very focused around war. The Assyrians of Mesopotamia are the most drastic example of this. They believed that if their conquest ever ceased, their god would destroy the world. The Mesopotamians also constructed great temples and forcefully spread propaganda in order to please their gods. The Indus River Valley people, in contrast, had more peaceful religions that were practiced in a variety of nonviolent ways. They believed mostly in Hinduism between 1700 B.C.E and 1100 B.C.E and Buddhism in 356 B.C.E. Both of these religions promote meditation, mindfulness, and peace. These religious differences help explain the motivations behind their approaches to politics and war. They also help explain why each civilization may have fallen. The Neo-Assyrian Empire collapsed when they finally lost a battle and realized that the world did not end, destroying the basis of everything they believed. Although there's not enough evidence to confirm what ended the Indus River Valley Civilization, historians speculate that their peaceful ways may have made it easy for them to be snuffed out by foreign conquest. When it comes down to it, religion is the primary reason for most differences between the two ancient civilizations.

Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley Civilization were two of the earliest civilizations. They both had polytheistic beliefs, agricultural economies, and innovative technologies. However, they differ in their approach to each. Some of these differences resulted from the environment. Some were adopted from societies they traded with. Still others may have been a result of nothing more than happenstance building on top of itself until a major trend is born. Regardless of why these differences arose, it's important to take note of them and consider the unique traits of both civilizations in order to develop a better understanding of early civilized human history.
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