Question

describe the earlier civilizations’ contributions to humanities that benefit us today. list atleast 5 such as. arts of writing farming ect... and explain why its important

Answer 1

There are different ancient civilizations who have contributed to various activities and discoveries that benefit man kind till today. Let us look at 6 of these most essential gifts to humanity:

1) Farming, Agriculture - Mesopotamians

2) Art of writing and 3) Medicine, surgery - Egyptian Civilization

4) Mathematics - Indian Civilization

5) City sewage & drainage plans, urban planning - Indus Valley/Harappan Civilization

Now, coming to each of their importance:

1) Farming and Agriculture: Agriculture was the primary economic activity in ancient Mesopotamia. They focused mainly on the cultivation of cereals, sheep farming as well as date palms in south, and grapes in north. They also developed irrigation systems to water the crops. The knowledge pf farming gave the Mesopotamians the opportunity to settle in one location for an extended length of time, thus giving rise to the concept of civilization. Now, agriculture is the most important and primary way of producing food crops in countries. They provide basic necessity for the mankind to survive as well as raw materials for industrialization. Also, creating food surplus helps in the specialization of labour and improved standard of living. So, agriculture is of great importance regarding economic growth.

2) Art of Writing: This originates way back in the Egyptian civilization. Egyptians were the first ever humans to use paper-like material for writing, and this material was made from the insideof the stalks of the Papyrus plant. They also had their own recipe consisting of vegetable gum, soot, and Bee's wax in order to make ink which was used to draw or write on the papyrus sheets. Now, we all know how important writing is for mankind. It is an essential skill which is crucial for communicating, reflecting, explaining, evaluating, inquiring, analyzing and helps to preserve thoughts and ideas, and one of the earliest and most far-reaching technology to human kind for storing information.

3) Medicine & Surgery: The most important medicial icon in ancient Greece is Hippocrates, who is till date known as the 'father of medicine'. The ancient Greeks had quite sophisticated method of practicing medicine which involved the combination of herbal remedies with surgery. Hippocrates and disciples of his school of medicine were the first people to ever describe and properly identify several diseases, including clubbing of fingers which is a symptom of chronic suppurative lung disease and lung cancer. There are quite a few medical terms which are still used today and came from ancient Greece like gynec (women), ophthalmos (eye), pneuma (breath), and genea (birth).The ancient Egyptian's tradition of preserving deceased people in the form of mummies which helped them to study how the human body works. Medicine is the most important reason for the survival of human life. It helps to address and cure health problems, and improve the quality and period of life. They help to alleviate death, ease pain and save lives.

4) Mathematics: Ancient Indian mathematicians made several contributions to the field of mathematics including the concept of zero, solving quadratic equations, basis for calculus, and the number system. Decimal notation is considered to be the very pillar of modern civilisation. Mathematics help us to solve any problem, issue, information etc. which can be quantified. It helps to strengthen reasoning and analytical skills, critical thinking and even the basic matters in everyday life like managing money, shopping, cooking, figuring out costs, time, etc. as well as crucial for the field of analysis and innovation.

5) Urban Planning: The Indus Valley Civilization is most known for urban planning, usage of land, designed and well-planned cities. They were the first ones to construct elaborate and efficient drainage systems, sewage systems, water supply systems, baked brick houses, had the earliest known public water tank known as the 'Great Bath'. etc. They had highly sophisticated city planning with advanced engineering, and had houses with flat roofs, granaries to store grain, trash collection systems and high protective walls around the city from floods. Now, urban planning is very important for the working of the cities and to achieve sustainable developement. It involves planning and design of residential, commercial buildings wlong with transportation, communication and distribution pathways. It is essential in both a social and an economic sense and helps to deliver better and more efficient public services. It is important to maintain standards of sanitation, cleanliness, environment pollution limits as well as a well-planned functional city helps to facilitate economic development.