The four early world civilisations
Around 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, four great early civilisations grew up in different parts of the world. Each one began in a fertile river valley and became famous for its cities, writing and knowledge.
| Civilisation | River |
| Mesopotamian civilisation | Tigris and Euphrates |
| Egyptian civilisation | Nile |
| Indus Valley civilisation | Indus |
| Huang He civilisation | Huang He (Yellow River) |
Why they matter
These civilisations are important because they were among the first to develop writing, cities, laws and government. The Mesopotamians invented cuneiform writing, the Egyptians built great pyramids along the Nile, the people of the Indus Valley planned neat cities with drains, and the Huang He civilisation in China developed early Chinese writing and skills.
Many ideas we still use today, such as writing, law, mathematics and calendars, began in these early civilisations. That is why we study them to understand where much of human knowledge started.
Key idea
The four early world civilisations are Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates), Egypt (Nile), the Indus Valley (Indus) and Huang He (Yellow River). Each grew in a fertile river valley.