Sentinel Digital Desk
The Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan Civilization was the first urban civilization in South Asia (modern-day Pakistan and northwest India). The Harappans built numerous sprawling cities, which were notable for their urban planning, water supply systems, elaborate drainage systems, and large concentrations on non-residential buildings.
The Norte Chico civilization (also called Caral or Caral-supe civilization) is considered to be the oldest known civilization that existed in the Americas. The formation of the civilization’s first city happened around 3,500 BCE and from this time until a period of decline around 1,800 BCE, the Norte Chico people flourished.
Around 10,000 BCE, some of the first fully developed Neolithic cultures began to settle in the fertile crescent, which includes Mesopotamia. Around 8,000 BCE, people in northern Mesopotamia began to cultivate barley and wheat, which they used to make beer, gruel, soup, and eventually bread.
Jiahu was a settlement located in the central plain of ancient China and the people who lived there developed some of the earliest aspects of Chinese culture. The Jiahu culture is often mentioned with the Peiligang culture, as archaeologists cannot agree whether or not the Jiahu people were a part of the larger group of Peiligang.
‘Ain Ghazal was an early farming community and its people are known for creating some of the earliest statues of the human form. The figures are made out of plaster and consist of full statues and busts that depict men, women, and children. A total of 15 statues and 15 busts were found in two separate caches, separated by about 200 years.
The settlement of Çatalhöyük is one of the oldest urban settlements and one of the most well-preserved Neolithic settlements. Excavations of the site have revealed evidence of prehistoric social organization and cultural practices. The people of Çatalhöyük were one of the earliest people to adapt to a sedentary life and practice agriculture. It is estimated that the average population of Çatalhöyük was between 5,000 – 7,000.
Although the people who settled in Mesopotamia are often credited as the first civilization, new research shows that Aboriginal Australians are one of the oldest known civilizations on Earth. The Aborigines can trace their ancestries back to about 75,000 years ago, but became a distinct genetic group around 50,000 years ago.
The San People of Southern Africa trace their history directly to ancient peoples who lived around 140,000 to 100,000 years ago. In fact, the San are the direct descendants of one of the original ancestral human groups (haplogroup), making the San the oldest civilization in the world.