A map of the Indus River Valley civilizations is shown, including Mohenjo-Daro, Lothal, Mehrgarh, and Harappa. They are situated near the Indus River, in northwestern India. Another map of Shang civilizations in ancient China is shown, the settlements represented by purple shading, primarily along the Yellow River.
Image 1: © 2012 MM
Creative Commons, Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
Image 2: © 2012 Saperaud
Creative Commons, Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
These maps show ancient settlements in India and China. Which statement is true about the location of most settlements?
They were located near oceans to provide good drinking water for the population.
They were located near deserts for the protection from invaders.
They were located near rivers and fertile floodplains to allow successful planting.
They were located near mountains for access to animals to hunt.