Question

What was the primary reason for the rise of the first river valley civilizations?

A) Climate changes suddenly made hunting more plentiful.
B) The introduction of farming led to a surplus of crops in flood plains with fertile soil.
C) Stone Age peoples learned how to make fires and tools of stone, wood, and bone.
D) New ideas were introduced to Mesopotamia and Egypt through trade.

Answer 1

The rise of the first river valley civilizations was primarily due to the introduction of farming, leading to a surplus of crops in fertile plains and a stable food supply that allowed societies to establish settled communities and develop complex social structures.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary reason for the rise of the first river valley civilizations was the introduction of farming that led to a surplus of crops. This development occurred in regions that featured fertile flood plains, providing the rich soil necessary for agriculture. The evolution to an agrarian lifestyle allowed for the growth of settled communities, which facilitated the development of civilization due to a stable food supply. Societies could then devote time to building infrastructure, such as irrigation systems, which were especially crucial in unpredictable environments like those of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia. Moreover, the abundance of food supported population growth, specialization of labor, and the evolution of complex social structures and culture.

Farming and the surplus of crops fostered a growth in population and the establishment of more permanent structures and government systems. This allowed people to engage in activities beyond subsistence farming, such as trading, developing technology, and constructing impressive architectural works. As a result, river valley civilizations such as Sumer in Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt along the Nile, the Indus Valley civilization, and ancient China along the Yellow River came into being, known collectively as the Four River Valley Civilizations.