#BeCivilized

A: What do historians mean by "civilization"?

A civilization is a society marked by developed arts, sciences, government, and social structure. These are just a few of the qualities that historians use to identify civilizations. More often than not, these characteristics are synonymous with places describing themselves, as all others - by comparison - would be deemed uncivilized.

However, it is a bit like hitting a moving target, as historians try to qualify whether ancient locations fit the criteria to be examined as a civilization. There are a few aspects of civilization that can be more helpful in identifying potential "civilizations." Let's look at some here....

CivilizationThe meaning of the term civilization has changed several times during its history, and even today it is used in several ways. It is commonly used to describe human societies "with a high level...

B: Characteristics of Civilization

Characteristics of Civilization

Historians name several such characteristics, including the following:

a stable food supply (to ensure that the people of a society have the food they need to survive)
a social structure to organize society (with different social levels and jobs)
a system of government (to ensure that society is orderly)
a religious system (involving both a set of beliefs and forms of worship)
a "highly developed way of life" that includes the arts (painting, architecture, music, literature, etc.)
advancements in technology (using tools and other inventions for practical purposes)
a "highly developed" written language

Web chart of the Characteristics of Civilization

With which of the following characteristics do you agree? Which characteristics can be used to examine ancient city-states? Are there any characteristics that do not belong on this list? Why?

C: Where did civilizations come from?

Agriculture and Civilization

Farming enabled people to grow all of the food they needed in one place, with a much smaller group of people.

This led to massive population growth, creating cities and trade. Since not everyone in a community was needed to run a farm, this freed up some people to specialize in other things, like government, armies, and the arts.

Civilizations were born.

D: City-States and Civilizations

Where and why did the first cities and states appear?

Why do historians classify ancient Sumer as a civilization?

The rise of Sumerian city-states began around 3500 B.C.E. To understand this rise, one must take a closer look at life in Sumer. Like an archaeologist, consider evidence to try to answer this question about the distant past: Why do historians classify ancient Sumer as a civilization? A civilization is a society that has developed arts and sciences and organization.

Until the mid-19th century, archaeologists had no idea that the Sumerian people had lived at all. Then, in the 1850s, archaeologists began finding artifacts in the area of the Fertile Crescent that we call Mesopotamia. They uncovered tablets, pottery, and the ruins of cities. They were surprised to find writing in a language they had never seen before.

By studying artifacts, archaeologists have been able to learn a lot about Sumer. One artifact is the Standard of Ur. It was found where the ancient city of Ur once stood. It is made of wood and decorated with pieces of shell and lapis lazuli, a semiprecious blue stone. The standard shows the Sumerians in times of peace and war. Artifacts like this one can tell us a great deal about daily life in ancient Sumer.

We now know that the Sumerians had a complex society. Some of the things they invented, like the plow and writing, are still in use today. But which characteristics of Sumer society cause historians to classify it as a civilization?