When people discuss civilization they are talking about a particular way of life that develops based on urban areas, shared methods of communication, and the division of labor. Civilization can be a difficult concept to define because it can mean different things to different scholars. Some see it as a form of progress, while others prefer to use the term to describe societies that have achieved certain levels of cultural and technological development. Most historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists working today reject the idea that there is a single definition of civilization.
The first examples of civilization appear in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Shang China, and Maya-period Mesoamerica. They are characterized by cities, the division of labor into specialized occupations, hierarchical structures with powerful elite families that control the rest of the population, and writing. Cities developed because it became necessary to grow enough food to feed the inhabitants, and people needed a central location for this activity. A central location also allowed a large number of people to live together and share their learning, which was essential for the development of a complex civilization.
It is not clear why these societies developed the characteristics of a civilization, but most experts agree that they did so for some combination of economic and social reasons. These societies also experienced a great deal of conflict and warfare. They were able to build magnificent buildings, create art, and make significant scientific discoveries.
Over time, these developments spread. The same package of features — writing, states, cities, and a hierarchy of kings, nobles, freemen, and slaves — surrounds most of the seven billion people on Earth today.
As civilization spread, it was accompanied by changes in agriculture and animal husbandry. Agricultural revolutions helped people produce more food and increase the variety of crops available. Changes in livestock farming allowed people to breed animals faster, creating larger herds that could be more easily grazed or slaughtered.
The rise of civilization also brought political and religious systems. Kings took on many roles, including presiding over ceremonies, settling disputes, and leading wars. This required that these societies have some type of organized government to oversee the activities of the king and ensure that his or her subjects obeyed laws. These governments evolved into the city-states that we know today.
In the past, the word “civilization” was used to classify societies that were seen as culturally superior to those considered primitive. These scholars, who were almost always white, male, and wealthy, usually had European ancestry. They saw the advantages of civilization and viewed primitive societies as having deficiencies that would lead to their decline.
In the twentieth century, anthropologists and historians came to apply the word civilization to more non-Western societies. However, they continued to make their determinations of what was or was not a civilization largely on the basis of Western values and ideas. The Inca of Peru, for example, had a complex civilization but never developed a written language or the wheel.