Civilization refers to a certain stage in human development that comes about when people begin establishing social organization, religious practices and political groups. This is seen as a move away from primitive and nomadic lifestyles. During this time, society also develops writing systems and cities. The term also has come to imply the culture that developed in this enlightened era. It is not accurate, however, to think that all civilizations are culturally the same as they are all based on different environments and historical events.
The earliest civilizations started out as agrarian societies. As these became more advanced, their population grew and the division of labor came about. As a result, people had more time to focus on their crafts and the arts. This led to a societal shift from hunting and gathering and a new focus on producing artifacts. As cities developed, they also required more food to feed a growing population. This prompted people to grow their crops and create irrigation techniques, which allowed for more food and increased crop yields.
This newfound wealth created an opportunity for some of these farmers to become elite rulers, or kings. These kings acquired enough control and power to coerce their populations. The emergence of kings also meant that the division of labor was no longer limited to a particular neighborhood or group. This led to the development of trade, with one city providing foodstuffs and goods to another city for a price.
While there are many definitions of civilization, a simple one is a sedentary, complex society that has developed a written language, large cities and international commerce. It is also believed that civilizations have developed intricate cultures with art, architecture, organized religion and complex customs of education and coercion.
Although some ancient societies did not have a centralized government, they are still considered civilizations. These include the Shang Dynasty of China (c. 1600 BCE to 1046 BCE), the Aksum Empire of Ethiopia (160 CE to 960 CE) and the Moundbuilders of North America (c. 8000-1000 BCE). They did not develop a writing system or cities that conformed to the standard definition of a civilization, but they were rich and complex cultures in their own right.
A key challenge for archaeologists and anthropologists is that the term civilization implies that it is superior to other forms of society, which is not necessarily true. As the anthropological community has evolved over the last century, this sentiment has largely been replaced by a recognition that all civilizations are different and that they have all developed under their own unique circumstances. This has opened the door to a greater understanding of the importance of non-Western civilizations and their contributions to world history. Many of these have gone unrecognized in the past, as Western scholars had imposed their own value judgments on them, which were often based on religious and racial prejudice. Nevertheless, these societies were capable of creating impressive works of art and science that have influenced modern civilizations around the globe.