Civilization means complex ways of life, characterized by urban areas and shared methods of communication. It also includes division of labor, writing, standardized measurement and currency, and legal systems with contractual and tort (personal injury) components. It may also include organized religion and advanced scientific understanding.
When a society develops these traits, historians and archeologists often call it civilization. Those who use this term should be aware that it has an overtone of value judgment: it implies that civilization is better, more advanced, or superior to other types of human communities. This definition is problematic for many archeologists, anthropologists, and historians who do not think that the features of civilization are inherently better than those of other types of human communities.
Humans began to develop complex societies 10,000 years ago, when they learned to domesticate plants and animals. These new techniques allowed people to become sedentary, or stay in one place for extended periods of time. They could then grow enough food to feed themselves and their families.
The first cities grew in river valleys because those areas were well suited to large-scale farming and could support growing populations. As these new patterns of human life developed, people needed a way to govern their cities and manage the increasing number of people living there. They created governments, led by rulers – kings or queens, for example – who were responsible for protecting their citizens and providing them with a steady flow of resources and services.
Once people had established stable towns, they began to explore new ways of making money. They realized that they could make and sell goods to other communities. Trade became a key part of civilization, and this enabled them to develop sophisticated metals, pottery, jewelry, and other art forms.
The demand for luxury goods also led to a new social structure based on wealth. As people in the upper classes grew richer, they demanded better materials and products, which meant that craftspeople and artisans worked harder to meet their needs. This meant that those in lower class positions did not have as much income, and this led to the creation of a class system.
Cities and a division of labor are the essential elements that most historians use to define civilization, but there are other important features as well. These include an extensive transportation network, a written language, and the development of agriculture. The ancient Romans, for example, had a massive empire that stretched across Europe and parts of North Africa and the Middle East. They were able to rule this vast area because they had a good system of government and infrastructure to handle such a large territory.