Small agricultural villages in river valleys around the world grew into cities and civilizations. Civilization has had many benefits, but civilizations on all continents typically had a central ruling bureaucracy, class system, abuse of the poor, frequent wars, lack of freedom, and pollution. Acknowledging these common characteristics, this chapter generally focuses on the positive accomplishments of civilizations.
The first civilization was in Mesopotamia (Section 15-2). Next came Egypt (Section 15-3). The great Asian civilizations were the Indus Valley Civilization in Pakistan and the Yellow River Civilization in China (Section 15-5). The Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and finally Rome were the dominant empires of the Middle East and Europe after the collapse of Sumer (Section 15-4). The Hohokam Civilization in Arizona had as many miles of irrigation canals as Ancient Mesopotamia (Section 15-6). The great Central and South American civilizations were the Inca, Maya, and Aztecs (Section 15-7).
Beginning with the need to keep records of transactions, civilizations generally developed writing systems. Science and mathematics arose from the need to keep records, construct buildings, manufacture products, and plot the positions of stars for astrological forecasts. Other benefits included efficient and stable food production, arts and crafts, transportation networks and trade with other regions, education, and a monetary system.
Civilization is a complex endeavor and requires many people with expertise in managing the various resources and threats. Early civilizations needed to establish reliable sources of food, energy, and water. This is also true for modern civilization. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations refers to this as the water, energy, and food security nexus. Degradation of any of these resources causes civilizations to decay or collapse. Additional threats include natural disasters, war, pollution, and disease.
Watch the video below in order to gain perspective on the pros and cons of civilization and the possibility of choosing not to be a full-fledged member of civilization.