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Origins of Civilization

Historically, “civilization” referred to societies that considered themselves “superior” due

to their advanced industrial, technological, and societal development. These societies wished to

separate themselves from less developed societies that they considered inferior. However, the

modern definition of civilization is more nuanced, referring to complex societies with established

social and societal structures and a government to administer various regions. The world’s first

civilization was established over six thousand years ago in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq).

Over five thousand years ago, civilizations developed in Egypt and the Indus Valley, followed by

China and Central America (modern-day Mexico). While many of them only inhabit the pages of

history books these days, these ancient civilizations all influenced the development of humanity

and contributed to our current understanding of civilization.

Urbanization is an essential characteristic of civilization. Urbanization developed due to

improvements in agricultural methods. In ancient times, most societies relied on hunting,

gathering, and subsistence farming to survive. Improved agricultural methods resulted in surplus

food supplies, meaning fewer farmers were needed to feed more people (National Geographic

Education). Communities began to trade food and animal products with each other. The growth

in trade provided access to surplus food, and people began to move away from subsistence

farming. Large urban centers developed as people settled close to each other in densely

populated cities.
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The division of labor and establishment of class structures are also characteristics of the

development of civilization. As civilizations expanded and societies adopted advanced farming

methods, less people were needed to work the land. This freed people up to do other jobs, such

as carpentry, construction, metalwork and weaving textiles. Additionally, the division of labor

led to the rise of people in special community roles, such as healers, priests, merchants and

bankers. People started to determine the importance of individuals based on the roles they held in

the community.

The creation of political hierarchies directly resulted from the division of labor and

became another essential characteristic of civilizations. As civilizations were complex social

structures, it became more efficient to classify people by economic activity and income level.

Enslaved people and people who did menial labor were usually at the bottom of the political

pyramid, and didn’t have much power. Doctors and teachers and landowners were usually

considered middle class. Military leaders, relatives of chieftains and rulers (aristocrats) were

considered the upper class and had more power. In certain cases, scribes, priests and prophets

had a lot of power, even though they were not born into the aristocracy, because the civilizations’

rulers depended on their advice. Many civilizations saw merchants and people who did menial

labor as the lowest class, even though they were often wealthier than members of the upper class.

Social class structure and urbanization are two of the most important characteristics of

civilization. Urbanization led to the development of trading relationships between neighboring

communities and the cities became central locations where traders could gather and sell their

goods. People from the surrounding villages also traveled to cities to source the goods they

needed and cities became densley populated as more and more people moved there in search of

employment. A decline in the need for everyone working the land to provide food meant that
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societies could create new industries, and this resulted in the division of labor and the

development of social classes. People were categorized according to economic activity, income,

land ownership and proximity to power. These political hierarchies often went against logic as

people considered low status were often wealthier than people of higher status. The development

of the concept of social class was instrumental in the growth of civilizations such as the Incan,

Egyptian, and Roman empires, where the complex social class structures affected government

and access to resources. While many civilizations have done away with some concepts of social

class, remnants of these political hierarchies can still be seen in modern civilization today.
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Works Cited

Histocrat, The. “The Birth of Civilization - Rise of Uruk (6500 BC to 3200 BC).” YouTube,

YouTube, 3 Apr. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=aowNRbEdqPQ.

Accessed: 26 November 2023.

National Geographic Education, Editors. “Key Components of Civilization.” National

Geographic Education, National Geographic Society, 19 Oct. 2023,

education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/key-components-civilization/. Accessed: 26

November 2023.