Civilizations: Features, Origins, Economy, and Society

Notes

Most civilizations shared eight features. First, they had cities. As food surpluses grew, city populations grew, and cities became civilizations. Cities were centers of religion, government, and culture. Second, they had well-organized governments. Strong governments were necessary for managing resources and training an army to defend a society. Third, civilizations had an established religion, or set of beliefs shared by everyone in a society. Fourth, there was job specialization. This allowed people to develop many skills and talents. Fifth, there were social classes. Social classes are groups of people that occupy different ranks or levels in a society. Sixth, there were public works such as roads, water systems, and city walls. Seventh, there were arts and architecture that enriched people's lives and marked a society as an advanced civilization. Eighth, most civilizations had a writing system, whether it was based on pictures or sounds. At first, writing was used to keep records. Later, it was used to record laws, write down prayers, and describe mighty deeds. --- • Subtopic: The Origins of Civilization 1. Anthropology: The science of the origins and social relationships of hu...