EARLY CIVILIZATION

AND THE RISE OF

THE STATE
Latin word of
Civilization - Civis
which refers to a person
who lives in a city.
Civets which refers to
the Urban community.
Defined by
antroplogist,
civilization - refers to
societies in which large
numbers of people lives
in cities.
The inhabitants of the cities
are socially stratified and
governed by the ruling elite
who work through centrally
organized political system
called state.
As Neolithic villages
grew into town.
First cities
4500 – 6000 years in
Mesopotamia (Iraq).
Egypt’s Nile Valley and Indus
Valley
(today’s Pakistan and India)
China started 500 years ago

 Eurasia and Africa the first

American and Indian cities
appeared in Peru 4000 years ago.
Meroamerica 2000 years ago.
Characteristic of the first
cities:
Large size in terms of

land area and

population.
House walls covered

with all sorts of paintings

and bas relief
People grow crops and tended
livestocks
Collected amount of food

from wild plants and animals.

Houses similar to one

another.
No public architecture existed.
Never intensified agricultural

practices.
Example of large city like in
Catalhoyuk, compact of 9500 years
old settlement in south-central
Turkey.
Tightly packed houses for its
more than 5000 inhabitants left no
room for streets. People traversed
the roofs for neighboring houses
and dropped through a hole in the
roof to get into their own houses.
RISE OF CITIES
A. Agricultural Innovation
changes in farming method.
Like dikes, canals and
reservoir to irrigate the farm
lands.
Water infrastracture , abled to
control water resources.
Farming became permanent
Population in farming villages rose
Areas near bodies of water, were
developed into agricultural lands.
Irrigation system were developed
and able to participate in food
production (kottak 2000)
B. Diversification of Labor
In Neolithic village without irrigation
or plow farming, every family member
participated in the planting crops.
High crop yields make possible by
new farming methods and increased
population permitted a sizable
number of people to pursue non
agricultural activities on a full-time
basis.
Specialized workers like in
Mesopotamian document from old
Babylonians city of Lagash
(Modern day Iraq) listed artisans,
craftsmen, and people who stores
crops in temple granaries.
Other workers like
coppersmith, silversmith,
sculptors, merchants, potters,
tanners, engravers, butchers,
carpentersm spinners, barbers,
cabinet makers, bakers clerk,
and brewers.
Through the specialization came the
expertise that led the the invention of
new ways in making and doing things.
Early civilization developed extensive
trade system to procure the raw
materials needed for their technologies. In
many parts of the world, boats, provided
great access to trade centers,
transporting large loads of imports and
exports between cities at less cost than if
they had been carried overland.
One of the key characteristics of
early civilizations is diversification
of labor. For instance, a section
of the population specialized in
planting crops while others built
crafts and tools. In some cities
people are ranked according to
their kind of work or
specialization.
C. Social Stratification

Symbols of special status and
privilege appeared in the ancient
cities of Mesopotamia, where
people were ranked according to
the kind of work they did or the
family into which they born.
People who stood or near the
head of the government were the
earliest holders of high status.
Possessions of wealth
Reflected in their laws, and
written documents;
archeaological features, like
size, location, burial custom
and grave goods.
Grave excavated at early
Neolithic sites are mostly simple
pits dugs in the ground
containing grave goods. These
goods consisted of different
things, such as utensils,
figurines, and personal
possession, that are symbolically
placed in the grave for the
The graves of important person
contain not only various artifacts
made from precious materials but
sometimes as in some Egyptian
burials, the remains of servants
evidently killed to serve their master
in the afterlife. Skeleton may also
provide evidence of social
stratification. Age and presence of
certain diseases can be determined
from skeletal remains.
D. Central Government
The emergence of a governing
elite also characterized early
civilizations. The new cities
faced because of their size and
complexity required a strong
central authority.
Farmers or craft specialists,
provided their respective services did
not infringe on one another.
Raising an army to ensure safety
from their enemies and levied taxes
and appointed tax collectors so that
workers and other public expenses
could be paid.
Merchants, carpenters and
farmers who made legal claims
received justice according to
standard of the legal system.
Surplus food had be stored for
times of scarcity, and public
works, such as extensive irrigation
systems or fortification supervised
by competent individual.
Other evidence of centralized
government comes from law
codes, temple records, and
royal cronicles. Excavation of
cities structures themselves
provides additional evidence
because they can show definite
signs of city planning.
Through written documents
and artifacts, central
authorities disseminated
information and stored,
systematized, and transmitted
memory and information for
political, religious, and
economic purposes.
 EARLIEST
FORMS OF
GOVERNMENT