The 8 Characteristics of a Civilization

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The 8 Characteristics of a Civilization

• A civilization is a complex and highly organized
  social order.

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The 8 Characteristics of a Civilization

• Cities
• Central Government
• Public Works
• Religion
• Writing System
• Job Specialization
• Social Classes
• Art and Architecture

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1. Cities

• Emerged as farmers produced a surplus of food.
• This increased the population.
• First cities emerged along River Valleys.
• Those cities would evolve into city-states.
• The first cities emerge after successful farmers
  produced surpluses.
• This took a very, very long time.

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2. Central Government

• Governments ensured the food supply and
  protection.
• They were create to help control and oversee
• Farming.
• Irrigation
• Collecting taxes.
• Making and enforcing laws.
• Military and defense needs.
• Rule from gods or a higher power.
• Formed the first bureaucracies.
• A system of managing government through
  departments run by officials.

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3. Public Works

• Controlled by the rulers.
• Showed the strength of the civilization.
• As well as the ruler and his government.
• Irrigation system, roads, bridges, sewers, and
  defensive walls.

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4. Religion

• Organized.
• Polytheistic.
• belief in many gods
• Spirits controlled nature.
• Ceremonies, rituals, plays, and sacrifices.
• All were done to gain favor and please the gods.
• Usually done to ensure a good crop.
• Cities built temples to the gods.
• Priests.
• Individuals who had religious knowledge and
  training.

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5. Writing System

• Early writings were pictograms.
• Simple and basic drawings.
• Began as a way to keep records.
• Documented tax collections, laws, and the storage
  of crops.
• Later writings became more complex.
• Usually, only a few scribes knew how to write and
  kept the records for priests, merchants, and/or
  kings.

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6. Job Specialization

• People specialized in certain jobs.
• No one person could master all the skills need
  for the civilization to survive.
• New crafts products.
• Artisans.
• skilled craftsmen.

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7. Social Classes

• People were ranked according to their jobs.
• Created a hierarchy.
• Priests and Nobles Always the top class.
• Warriors, Merchants, and Artisans.
• Peasant Farmers and Slaves.
• This is a basic order of hierarchy for most
  civilization, it might be modified for others.

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8. Art and Architecture

• Art expressed the beliefs, values, culture of a
  civilization.
• Buildings showed religious and governmental
  strength.
• Artisans.