Culture Hearth

One of several locations where major cultural and technological advancements appeared in the early development of human civilization. These places emerged as centers of innovation and artistic and scientific achievement, with complex social orders and sophisticated political systems. Moreover, each hearth benefited from regularly cultivated and proficient agricultural systems, often based on extensive irrigation. The latter feature generally enabled the production of a surplus of food. Most of the hearths developed on the banks of major rivers, or at least in close proximity to streams, allowing for a regular supply of water, and also benefited from the rich alluvial soils laid down by flooding.

Scholars generally recognize four major cultural hearths, and some include three secondary hearths as well. The four major hearths are the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley located in modern Iraq; the Nile River Valley in Egypt; the Indus River Valley situated in modern Pakistan; and China’s Huang Ho River Valley. The three secondary hearths are located in western Africa, especially Ghana and its environs; Central America, especially southern Mexico, Belize, and northern Guatemala; and the Gangetic Plain of northern India. Each of these locations witnessed the emergence of a common set of advancements, either entirely in isolation from the others or at least partially independent of external influences. The common denominators in each included the organization of society into hierarchical classes, a division of labor ranging from manual labor to higher intellectual pursuits, a high degree of urbanization, a relatively advanced transportation and communication system, and a high level of skill in the physical and literary arts. 

These characteristics appeared in part because of the food surplus made possible by the rich soils and abundant supply of water. A significant percentage of the workforce was freed from the task of cultivating crops, allowing them to develop technical and scientific skills in areas as diverse as metallurgy, astronomy, and philosophy. Religious belief and language both acquired more organization, complexity, and sophistication. Religion became more interpretive and ritualistic, both characteristics that were secured by the flowering of religious literature and a class of religious officials in the formof priests or others who functioned as intermediaries between humanity and the god(s). Skills in architecture and construction were refined, as monuments either to the gods or to rulers (sometimes they were one and the same) were raised in religious tribute. As new technology appeared and the literary arts flourished, the vocabulary of language became richer and its discourse deepened, enabling speakers to express themselves in new and innovative ways.