Most of the great Ancient civilizations arose around river valley communities, coinciding with the late Neolithic period and the emergence of the Agricultural Revolution. As such, these river valley communities had similar origins and formed the backbone of growing communities that would eventually be considered empires, dominating entire geographic regions. Such developments can be charted in Egypt, the Near East, India, and China. The development of culture within each of these communities followed similar patterns, largely due to sedentarization associated with great river valleys.
Common Developmental Trends in Ancient River Valley Civilizations
Civilizations emerging along the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Indus, and Yellow Rivers transformed nomadic societies into permanent dwellers through processes that included common elements. Among these are: