Civilization is the characteristic that sets human beings apart from other living species. It provides mankind with numerous needs and wants that are not easily fulfilled by other animals, such as food, shelter, clothing, tools and medicines.
Early civilizations often formed around religious beliefs and practices. The emergence of these religions and the establishment of rituals helped to unite people of different ethnicities.
As populations of humans grew, they needed to establish complex institutions to govern them. Cities are a common feature of these complex societies. As people settled in urban areas, they began to develop specialized jobs. Trade, a form of economic exchange that involves the buying and selling of goods and services, became popular. As a result, many ancient city dwellers became skilled artisans, producing objects like pottery, sculpture, and metalwork.
The emergence of civilization also led to large-scale agricultural projects that required the coordination of hundreds or even thousands of individual farmers. In many cases, priests developed power to oversee these projects, which were usually beyond the scope of local neighborhood groups. This power eventually enabled some priests to become elite rulers known as kings.
Eventually, some kings developed enough power to recruit standing armies of soldiers and control the production of weapons for war. As a result, some early civilizations developed centralized militaries.
These powerful centers of government were able to extend their influence over large regions and control the movements of armed men and women. As such, the term “civilization” has come to refer to a culture that includes a state-based decision-making apparatus, written language, literature, professional art, architecture, and organized religion. Despite these features, every civilization is unique and has its own set of customs that differentiate it from other cultures.
Today, anthropologists and historians who study non-Western societies have begun to question some of the assumptions about what constitutes a civilized society. However, well into the twentieth century and even today, most scholars making this determination are white males with European ancestry.
In the Civilization game series, you play as a leader of one of these powerful nation-states. You must hone your leadership skills and guide your empire to success. You must make important decisions that can affect the lives and livelihoods of countless citizens, from how taxes are collected to what types of wars to initiate.
The development of civilizations is a dynamic process. Civilizations can grow or shrink, depending on factors like migration and disease. In addition, a civilization’s resources may diminish, forcing it to rely more on outside sources of food or other essentials.