The Great Rivers
From the Nile to the Yellow River, these waterways shaped the rise of early civilizations.
Chapters
- 0:07 Life from the Nile
- 1:52 Mesopotamian Rivers
- 2:54 Indus River Civilization
- 4:39 Yellow River and Chinese Dynasties
On-screen text
- 0:07 Life from the Nile
- 0:14 Life from the Nile
- 0:31 Nilometer measured yearly floods Historical record · Nilometer inscriptions, Elephantine (4th c. AD)
- 0:49 Ptahhotep links grain stores to Nile Historical record · Instruction of Ptahhotep, Middle Kingdom Egypt (c. 2400 BCE)
- 1:07 Narmer Palette suggests Nile unification The Institute's interpretation · Narmer Palette, early dynastic Egypt (c. 3100 BCE)
- 1:25 Papyrus spells call on the Nile Tradition / scripture · Papyrus of Ani, Egyptian Book of the Dead (c. 1250 BCE)
- 1:43 Pyramid Texts praise the Nile Tradition / scripture · Pyramid Texts, Old Kingdom Egypt (c. 2400 BCE)
- 1:52 Mesopotamian Rivers
- 2:09 Gilgamesh recounts a great flood Tradition / scripture · Epic of Gilgamesh, tablet I (c. 2100 BCE)
- 2:18 Barley offerings show Euphrates agriculture Historical record · Royal Tomb of Ur, grave goods (c. 2600 BCE)
- 2:36 Amarna letters request river water Historical record · Amarna letters, correspondence (c. 1350 BCE)
- 2:54 Indus River Civilization
- 3:01 Indus River Civilization
- 3:18 Mohenjo‑daro’s brick drains The Institute's interpretation · Excavation report, Sir John Marshall, Mohenjo‑daro (1925)
- 3:36 Great Bath as communal pool The Institute's interpretation · Mohenjo‑daro Great Bath study, J. M. Kenoyer (1995)
- 3:54 Harappan seal shows river boats Historical record · Harappa seal with river motif (c. 2500 BCE)
- 4:12 Dholavira’s massive reservoirs The Institute's interpretation · Dholavira site report, R. B. Singh (2005)
- 4:30 Lothal dockyard on ancient river Historical record · Lothal excavation report, J. M. Kenoyer (1995)
- 4:39 Yellow River and Chinese Dynasties
- 4:53 Divination asks about Yellow River flood control Historical record · Oracle‑bone inscriptions, Anyang (c. 1200 BCE)
- 5:07 Royal edict to reinforce riverbanks Historical record · Anyang bronze vessel inscription (c. 1100 BCE)
- 5:46 Legend of Yu the Great tames floods Tradition / scripture · Shujing (Book of Documents), ancient Chinese tradition (c. 6th c. BCE)
- 6:07 Yellow River breach forces capital relocation Historical record · Book of Han (Hanshu), flood chronicle (1st c. CE)
Sources
Historical record: Nilometer inscriptions, Elephantine (4th c. AD) · Instruction of Ptahhotep, Middle Kingdom Egypt (c. 2400 BCE) · Code of Hammurabi, stele (c. 1754 BCE) · Royal Tomb of Ur, grave goods (c. 2600 BCE) · Amarna letters, correspondence (c. 1350 BCE) · Harappa seal with river motif (c. 2500 BCE) · Lothal excavation report, J. M. Kenoyer (1995) · Oracle‑bone inscriptions, Anyang (c. 1200 BCE) · Anyang bronze vessel inscription (c. 1100 BCE) · Book of Han (Hanshu), flood chronicle (1st c. CE)
Tradition / scripture: Papyrus of Ani, Egyptian Book of the Dead (c. 1250 BCE) · Pyramid Texts, Old Kingdom Egypt (c. 2400 BCE) · Epic of Gilgamesh, tablet I (c. 2100 BCE) · Shujing (Book of Documents), ancient Chinese tradition (c. 6th c. BCE)
The Institute's interpretation: Narmer Palette, early dynastic Egypt (c. 3100 BCE) · Ziggurat of Ur, architectural plan (c. 2100 BCE) · Excavation report, Sir John Marshall, Mohenjo‑daro (1925) · Mohenjo‑daro Great Bath study, J. M. Kenoyer (1995) · Dholavira site report, R. B. Singh (2005)
Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 325 s of CPU.
Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (6) — the next things to make
- A Babylonian scribe carving the code on a stone slab beside a canal.
- A Babylonian scribe carving the code on a stone slab beside a canal.
- A Babylonian scribe carving the code on a stone slab beside a canal.
- Archaeologists uncovering barley sheaves in a richly furnished tomb.
- Workers raising mud bricks, the river visible in the background.
- Screen fades to black, leaving only the echo of flowing water in the viewer’s mind.