how did the Nile valley formed ? how it is different from the other types of valleys?
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Answer:
The Egyptian or the Nile Valley civilization developed, as the name suggests, along the banks of the river Nile in Egypt. Its long, narrow flood plain was a magnet for life, attracting people, animals and plants to its banks, and providing ideal conditions for the development of stable communities. Seen as a gift from the gods, the annual flooding of the river deposited nutrient rich silt over the land, creating ideal conditions for growing wheat, flax and other crops.
Evidence suggests that the region was inhabited as far back as 700,000 years ago by Neolithic and Paleolithic Man. To date, the oldest tools found in the lower Nile Valley have been found in and near the cliffs of Abu Simbel, just across the river from where, millennia later, the descendants of these people would build the temple of Rameses II. Geological evidence indicates they are around 700,000 years old, giving a fairly good estimate as to when a Stone Age people was living in the area. It is believed that nomadic hunters settled in the valley and over the course of time, began to grow crops to supplement their food supply. Evidence suggests that beginning in 5500BC, hunting ceased to be a major support for existence and the Egyptian diet was made up of domesticated cattle, sheep, pigs and goats, as well as cereal grains such as wheat and barley. Artifacts of stone were supplemented by those of metal, and the crafts of basketry, pottery, weaving, and the tanning of animal hides became part of the daily life. The transition from primitive nomadic tribes to traditional civilization was nearly complete. The first communal project of this fledgling society was the building of irrigation canals for agricultural purposes. By predynastic Amratian times, about 3600 BC, agriculture appears to have begun in the valley alluviums of the Nile. By late predynastic times, about 3100 BC, there is evidence of a considerable growth in wealth consequent upon the earlier agricultural development and accompanied by a more integrated social system and the rise of the pharaoh dynasties.
With their eyes and minds on eternity, the Egyptians built a society that remained constant for nearly 3000 years. Many of their monuments still attest to that permanence. Ancient eyes of monumental sculptures and the Sphinx still stare at us through the centuries. The tombs in the Valley of Kings and at Beni Hasan and the ruins of massive pylon temples at Luxor and Karnak reminded us of the importance of religious belief in Egyptian society. The only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World still stands proudly at the pyramid complex at Giza. Their engineering and surveying skills were developed to solve the everyday problems they faced. Egyptian medical practices included brain and spinal surgery and setting of bones. Their form of decorative and colorful writing remained a mystery until the Nineteenth Century discovery and translation of the Rosetta Stone. Drama may have begun on the banks of the Nile with the Abydos Passion Play. By the record left in the tomb paintings, it is evident that music and dance were an important part of Egyptian life.