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Water and Classical Civliizations: Crash Course World History #222 (11:08)

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.

Key Ideas

Think about the following questions as you watch the video


  1. 01:40 What is water control, or “hydraulic engineering”? Why is this important?
  2. 04:40 The Maya culture, which flourished between 250 and 900 CE was not ideally located in terms of access to fresh water. How did the rulers and people ensure their survival?
  3. 06:15 What happened to Maya society as a result of sustained droughts, and why?
  4. 08:50 The Khmer culture flourished between 802 and 1327 CE in what is today Cambodia. They built extensive reservoirs and water works. Where were their most important series of temples constructed, and how do they relate to water control?
  5. 10:30 How do water control issues continue to present challenges to people today, and what advantages do we have that might possibly prevent the same kind of societal collapse presented in this video?