What is Civilization?

Well, some scholars believe ant societies have several features in common with human civilizations! So, in order to gain a better understanding of civilization, let's look at ants. They have a rigid, hierarchical caste system, every ant knows it's place in the society. Do you know your role? Are you a student - a member of a family? They have a system of communication, consisting of ten to twenty chemical signals. Do we use a language to communicate? Can you imagine a world without language? Some ants herd aphids, as humans do animals, and the leaf-cutter ants of South America even have agriculture; they chew their cuttings of huge leaves, fertilize them with their feces to produce a mushroom-like fungus, which they eat. Do you rely on someone to grow the food you eat daily? Most ant societies have aggressive warriors; their societies are even more aggressive and war-like than human societies, sometimes attacking their own species over food and territory. Has the United States ever fought a war? Remember the war for independence - the Revolution? Ants also have a significant effect on their environment, moving around as much dirt as earthworms do, enriching the soil.

When people no longer had to spend all their time getting food and shelter to survive, they began use their time to create more things, such as art, an upper class, recreation.... all the things that combine to change a group of people just focused on survival, into a group of people with a culture and civilization. Once people discovered agriculture, which is farming and the domestication of animals, it allowed them to stay in once place. Having the ability to feed their population, and, indeed, have a surplus of food, allowed civilizations to flourish. Which characteristics might develop when people begin to live together in large numbers? Think about your life and experiences. Where do you live and does the area affect your life? Does everyone act like you and believe the same things as you?