Final answer:
Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley were early urban civilizations with similarities and differences. They engaged in trade, had complex urban centers, and relied on rivers for agriculture. In comparison to modern cities, they had similarities in planning and infrastructure but lacked modern features.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley were both early urban civilizations that emerged around the same time in different regions of the world. While there are some similarities between the two, such as the development of writing systems (Cuneiform in Mesopotamia and a yet-to-be-deciphered script in the Indus Valley), there are also notable differences. For example, in Mesopotamia, the cities were often city-states ruled by separate kings, while in the Indus Valley, there is little evidence of political power concentrated in the hands of hereditary monarchs.
In terms of similarities, Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley both engaged in significant trade with each other, as evidenced by the importation of precious stones and marine shells from the Indian Ocean. Additionally, both civilizations relied on the fertility of their respective rivers (the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia and the Indus River in the Indus Valley) for agriculture and the development of complex urban centers.
Compared to modern cities, both Mesopotamian and Indus Valley cities had certain characteristics resembling modern urban areas. For example, they had centralized planning and layout, with streets laid out in a grid system. They also had advanced systems of irrigation to support agriculture and large populations. However, unlike modern cities, these ancient urban centers lacked many features such as modern infrastructure, technology, and governance systems.