Most of the civilizations discussed in this section of class were Essay

Most of the civilizations discussed in this section of class were established on major rivers - Essay Example These were made of perfectly curved blocks whose construction have remained a mystery since it is not known how the builders carried the over five tones of building materials to the top of the building. Another technology included the production of dyes and inks by the use of plants, soot gum, fish and water. There were also water and sundial clocks. The seasonal flooding of the River Nile resulted in the deposition of fertile silt from the deserts thereby promoting agriculture along the river (Spielvogel, 2009). The Egyptians ploughed using human and animal drought machinery. Since the River Nile was prone to seasonal flooding, trenches were constructed to guide water to crops hence promoting basin irrigation. Agrarianism was a major practice in the ancient Egypt. The communities in the Upper Nile however carried out fishing, hunting and gathering as their major economic activities (Spielvogel, 2011). They hunted Zebras and cattle to bring food into the Nile. Agricultural products, game meat and fish were traded amongst themselves on a barter trade basis. The hunters and gatherers exchanged their game meat with farm products from the agrarian communities. This was because there was no trade and cultural diffusion between Egypt and the surrounding countries at that time. The river did not only provide water for irrigation and fish, but also provided a means of transport. The communities around the Nile used boats to travel along the river from one settlement to another (Quie & Bell, 2011). Winds helped boats travel against the river current and along the river. For fear that large boats would capsize; the Upper Nile communities used small boats such as canoes to travel through the region. Egyptian social system was strict and the government was centralized; it was divided into social classes in the order of the Pharaoh, Pharaoh’s family and relatives, nobles, priests, scribes, soldiers, workers, peasants, foreigners and slaves. In