India's First Cities
What makes a civilisation
Name the characteristics the chapter says a civilisation should have, tell internal trade from external, and say where and when civilisation first began.
By the end of the last chapter the first human groups had settled down, were practising agriculture, and were developing technologies such as construction, metallurgy and transport. Metallurgy covers the techniques of extracting metals from nature, purifying or combining them, and the scientific study of metals and their properties. Each of those was movement in one direction: towards what the chapter calls civilisation, a term used in general for an advanced stage of human societies.
What the chapter asks for
To be precise about a word that is often used loosely, the chapter sets out characteristics a civilisation should have at least. Two of them are about how a society is run: some form of government and administration, to manage a more complex society and its many activities; and urbanism — town-planning, the growth of cities and their management, which generally includes water management and a drainage system.
And what it has to feed itself with
The last characteristic on the list is a productive agriculture: enough to feed not just the villages, but also the cities. A city grows no food of its own, so a civilisation is possible in the first place because the countryside around it produces a surplus.
Have a play
Village, town, city — the same place at three moments.
Tap any part of the picture.
Worked example
A settlement makes beads. Where does the chapter's craft characteristic say the work begins and ends?
It begins with a raw material — the chapter's examples are stone and metal.
A craft is not just skill with the hands: it starts with getting hold of the material and managing the supply of it.
Try it together
Now place the beginnings of civilisation on the map and the calendar.
Civilisation began at different times in different parts of the world, and the chapter names two regions before turning to the Indian Subcontinent.
1.The first region the chapter names is Mesopotamia. Which two modern countries does it say Mesopotamia is? Name either one of them.
Have a go
Your turn: which word covers the techniques of extracting metals from nature, purifying or combining them, and the scientific study of metals and their properties?
Hint: Its first half is the material it works on.
Ready to practise?
Eight questions on what you have just read. Nothing is timed, and you can play as many times as you like.