Civilization refers to a complex human society that has reached a certain level of cultural and technological development. While scholars disagree on how to define civilization, most agree that it involves a large group of people who share some advanced ways of living and working together as well as specific technological innovations. Civilization also encompasses complex cultures that include organized religion, professional arts and crafts, and a range of social customs. It is important to understand that the word “civilization” carries with it an implicit value judgment. Civilizations are often seen as better, more advanced, and more morally just than non-civilized societies. This view of civilization has been problematic for archaeologists, historians and anthropologists who work with world societies as it sets up harmful oppositions between civilized and non-civilized groups.
Many of the earliest civilizations developed in river valleys, where fresh water was plentiful and accessible. This is not surprising because prehistoric hunter-gatherers also gravitated toward water sources for their survival. Once the water supply was in place, people began to farm the land and develop surplus food supplies. These surplus foods enabled the growth of communities that could be ruled by elite families, and eventually by powerful states with armies and state production centers.
The early civilizations of Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt and China all became highly developed because they were able to produce enough surplus food to support urban populations. This urbanization intensified social hierarchies and the need for specialized professions. Over time, the cities also led to sophisticated forms of government and the accumulation of wealth by some members of society, who came to be known as kings. These wealthy leaders could then use their power and influence to control large areas and impose taxation on other members of society.
In order to sustain such a society, civilizations require a high level of cultural and technological advancements that make them more productive and just than other human groups. This includes a complex division of labor and centralized government planning, a system of writing, standardized measurement, money, contracts, tort-based legal systems, metallurgy, mathematics, scientific understanding, art, architecture and organized religion.
These traits can be achieved through the combination of a large population of citizens who pay taxes to fund public services and a central authority that has the power to enforce laws and protect people from war and disease. They must also have the technological means to produce weapons, vehicles and tools for agriculture, mining, construction and manufacturing. Civilizations can also develop a wide variety of cultural features, such as literature, professional art and music, and complex religious beliefs.
Although the term “civilization” implies a specific set of cultural and technological accomplishments, the definition has been adapted to accommodate the diverse needs of world societies over time. It is important to note, however, that there are some societies whose development falls short of this standard. For example, the North American moundbuilders of Watson Brake (c. 3500 BCE), Poverty Point (c. 1700 BCE), and Cahokia (c. 600 to c. 1100 BCE) do not have a writing system or cities that conform to the traditional sense of what makes a city, but they are still recognized as civilizations.