Ancient European Civilizations | History, Peoples & Cultures - Lesson
This is because they developed writing and, as such, we can read what they had to say about themselves, their culture, and the past. This does not mean, however ...
civilizations
Archaeologists refer to the ancient past in terms of ''cultures'', which refers to groups of artifacts located together and the characteristics of a specific period and location's technology. Where did <anchor>civilizations</anchor> first form in Europe? The first archaeological culture that the Homo sapiens brought to Europe is known as the Aurignacian, which appeared in the southeast sometime before 55,000 BC. This period, which lasted until around 24,000 BC, is distinguished by cave painting and engraving, blade tools made of stone, and ivory figurines and jewelry.
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# Civilization \| Definition, Elements & Examples

- Lesson
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Transcript




Samantha Bohannon, Nate Sullivan


- Author

Samantha Bohannon
Sammy Bohannon has taught middle school ESL for over 6 years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish from Eastern Kentucky University and a Master's Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from Asbury University. She also has a teaching license in the state of Kentucky and TEFL certification.

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- Instructor

Nate Sullivan
Nate Sullivan holds a M.A. in History and a M.Ed. He is an adjunct history professor, middle school history teacher, and freelance writer.

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Explore different ideas of what civilization is. Discover the controversy around the civilization definition and examine examples of civilization across the world.


Updated: 11/21/2023


## Table of Contents

- [Civilization Definition](#section---CivilizationDefinition)
- [Civilization Meaning](#section---CivilizationMeaning)
- [What is Civilization?](#section---WhatIsCivilization)
- [Examples of Civilization](#section---ExamplesOfCivilization)
- [Lesson Summary](#section---LessonSummary)

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Frequently Asked Questions

#### What does civilization mean in a sentence?

Civilization means that a society has a division of labor, a surplus of food, an organized government and religion, and a writing system.

#### What is a civilization in simple words?

Simply put, a civilization is a society that has defined cultural habits, social structures, and a government that lives and works together.

#### What is a civilization example?

Examples of civilizations include Mesopotamia, Khmer, Maya, Egyptians, Minoan, and the Inca. These civilizations all had urban areas, a surplus of food, a government and/or religion, and a writing system.

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## Table of Contents

- [Civilization Definition](#section---CivilizationDefinition)
- [Civilization Meaning](#section---CivilizationMeaning)
- [What is Civilization?](#section---WhatIsCivilization)
- [Examples of Civilization](#section---ExamplesOfCivilization)
- [Lesson Summary](#section---LessonSummary)

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**Civilization Definition**

Some define civilization as the stage of human social and cultural development and organization that is considered most advanced. Others believe that civilization refers to a complex society that is characterized by its culture and way of life. Generally, a civilization is a society that has defined cultural habits, social structures, and a government.

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**Civilization Meaning**

V. Gordon Childe was a historian who studied civilization and helped to craft the civilization meaning that we know today. According to Childe, there are four elements of civilization that create a civilization.

**1\. A Surplus of Food**

Civilization must have a surplus of food. This means that people have a readily available supply of food that they do not have to constantly search for. Typically, civilizations have methods of farming and raising agriculture in order to maintain this required surplus of food. When people know where their food is coming from and do not have to constantly scavenge for it, they are able to focus on their other needs and wants.

**2\. A Division of Labor**

Civilizations have divisions of labor. This means that people have different jobs that are specific to their skills. For instance, a carpenter is only a carpenter, not a carpenter and a lawyer. When people are able to focus on doing one job well, they have the ability to focus on other needs.

**3\. An Organized Government and/or Religion**

Civilizations have an organized governing body. People living in the same civilization with the same government and the same religion have similar beliefs and values. When people are similar to each other, they are able to trust one another. When people are able to trust one another, they are able to trade goods and services with one another.

**4\. A System of Writing**

Civilizations have a [system of writing](https://study.com/academy/lesson/writing-systems-overview-history.html). People who can write are able to communicate and keep accurate records. People who have a writing system also have ways to communicate with people who are far from them without needing to travel themselves.

These are the 4 main elements that make a civilization, but there are more elements that contribute to civilization. These include...

- **Urban Areas**: Civilizations have urban areas. Urban areas are places where citizens can gather and trade goods and services. Strong civilizations have areas where [urban and rural communities](https://study.com/learn/lesson/population-distribution-rural-vs-urban-areas.html) can come together for trade and sport.
- **Monuments**: Civilizations have monuments that preserve the legacy of their leaders and heroes. Monuments can include both buildings and sculptures, as long as their purpose is to honor someone or something that is important to the civilization.
- **Shared Communication**: Civilizations have a shared method of communication. While we have already discussed a need for a writing system, civilizations must also have a common method of oral communication. In order to exchange goods and services, they need to be able to speak a common language. Furthermore, shared communication allows for development within the civilization and the ability to develop a more complex society.

### The Concept of Civilization

The concept of civilization has been a controversial topic amongst scholars. At first, civilization was considered the last step of a progression in a society: savagery, barbarism, and then civilization. In this context, hunter-gatherers would fall under savagery, early farmers would be barbarism, and the early civilizations of the Near East were civilizations. However, many argue that this progression is no longer valid because it encourages cultural superiority. The word civilization has been used throughout history to describe cultures that are superior to their less developed counterparts. Civilized peoples were those who had strong moral values or more advanced technologies. These definitions of civilization, however, support cultural superiority and arguably do not actually reflect what a civilization truly is.

Civilization, as it is known today, is much more complex. Civilizations have governments, jobs, and class structures. They have a shared form of communication and a surplus of food. Civilizations have shared languages and consist of cities or urban areas. However, many people find this definition of civilization problematic because many aspects of the criteria are subjective. For many "civilizations" it isn't all black and white. Rather, there are gray areas to be considered. For example, what constitutes a city? What does a government look like? And how similar does a language need to be for it to be a shared language or method of communication?

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**What is Civilization?**

How has civilization developed through history? When did civilizations begin? Most scholars consider the **Neolithic Revolution** to be the beginning of civilization. The Neolithic Revolution occurred when people first learned how to farm instead of being hunters and gatherers. Rather than living a nomadic lifestyle, they became sedentary and settled in groups.

The [first civilization](https://study.com/learn/lesson/mesopotamia-overview-civilization.html), where the Neolithic Revolution first occurred, was in the Fertile Crescent and included the civilization of Mesopotamia. The Fertile Crescent, or modern-day Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Turkey, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Cyprus, ran from the Nile River to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers run through the middle of the Fertile Crescent.

Map of the Fertile Crescent

![](/cimages/multimages/16/fertile_crescent7175727720011457860.jpg)

**[The Fertile Crescent](https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-fertile-crescent-cradle-of-civilization.html)** historically contained extremely fertile soils and was home to various wild edible plants. At around 10,000 BCE, people began to experiment with the plants, particularly grains, and tried planting them. Over time, they perfected the process of **farming** the plants and were able to grow grains that were stronger and could withstand more. These grains, like wheat, made it possible for them to stay in one place instead of needing to migrate for their food sources. The cultivation of grains led to raising livestock and thus began the first civilizations.

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**Examples of Civilization**

Throughout history, there have been numerous civilizations. Some examples of civilizations include:

**Mesopotamia**

Mesopotamia was one of the first civilizations. It was located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is present-day Iraq. The people of Mesopotamia began cultivating wheat, barley, and flax. They also domesticated sheep and pigs. Mesopotamia also had irrigation systems, aqueducts (infrastructure), temples (monuments), and codes of law.

**Khmer**

The [Khmer](https://study.com/academy/lesson/khmer-empire-language-facts.html) civilization was in East Asia. They traded along the silk road. They had a collective government and played a big part in the spread of Buddhism and Hinduism throughout Southeast Asia. The Khmer civilization was made of mostly rice farmers who also used an irrigation system in their farms. Their major urban area was Angkor, which features many religious monuments.

**Maya**

The Maya civilization was located in Mesoamerica or what is present-day Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala. The Maya had a common language and a writing system made of hieroglyphs. They had urban areas with cities made of stone and monuments to various figures. The Maya even had pyramids constructed as monuments. Like the aforementioned civilizations, the Maya had irrigation systems, but they also had terraces for farming. [The Maya were very religious](https://study.com/academy/lesson/mayan-civilization-economy-politics-culture-religion.html) and had many gods such as the sun god, the mood god, the rain god, and the corn (maize) god.

Monument from the Maya civilization

![](/cimages/multimages/16/maya4318558695804422081.jpg)

**Egyptians**

The ancient Egyptians were located in present-day Egypt. The Egyptians had many monuments and artifacts that people today still love to view. Like the Maya, the Egyptians had pyramids that were constructed in honor of their leaders. The Egyptians cultivated wheat and barley. Their hieroglyphics are well-known for being sophisticated. The Egyptians also had a central government and were very religious which is what helped to hold their society together. The Egyptian civilization lasted for thousands of years.

**Minoans**

The [Minoans](https://study.com/academy/lesson/minoan-civilization-facts-map-timeline.html) were located on the island of present-day Crete. The Minoans built many urban areas such as Knossos, Phaistos, and Malia. Each of these urban sites had political and religious centers. The Minoans also had a developed system of trade. The Minoans used [Linear A Script](https://study.com/academy/lesson/linear-a-overview-history-language-minoan-script.html) as their form of writing. There is a lot of evidence of [Minoan art](https://study.com/academy/lesson/minoan-art-history-images-quiz.html) and monuments of presumed religious figures.

Minoan ruins on the island of Crete.

![](/cimages/multimages/16/minoan_ruins1389202838829761543.jpg)

**Inca**

The Inca were located in the Ades Mountains of present-day Peru. They were very religious and had a government set up. Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire and one of the urban areas where people could engage in trade. The Inca farmed corn, potatoes, and squash, and domesticated llamas, alpacas, and dogs. Though they had no written language, they did use knots in ropes to keep records.

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**Lesson Summary**

A civilization is a society characterized by its advanced development and organization. Civilizations have urban areas, a surplus of food, a writing system, and a division of labor. Civilizations also have monuments, religions, governments, a shared method of communication, and ways to trade goods and services. The concept of civilization is somewhat **controversial** amongst scholars as some definitions promote cultural superiority.

The first civilizations date back to the **Neolithic Revolution** and the invention of **farming**. The Neolithic Revolution largely occurred in the Fertile Crescent where the soil was fertile and many edible plants grew naturally. This is where the first experiments with farming took place as people began to cultivate plants.

Some civilization examples include Mesopotamia, Khmer, Ancient Egyptians, Minoans, Inca, and Maya. Each civilization was unique but had similar characteristics such as a common language, a way to keep records, a method of farming, a government and religion, and divisions of labor.

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## Video Transcript

## What Is a Civilization?

We hear a lot about Western civilization. In most colleges and universities there is a required course called Western Civilization. Usually it is broken up into two parts. But, what exactly is a 'civilization?' How is it defined, and what are its core characteristics? That is what we will be discussing in this lesson.

A **civilization** is generally defined as an advanced state of human society containing highly developed forms of government, culture, industry, and common social norms. Of course, not all scholars agree with this definition. In fact, there is much debate over what constitutes a civilization and what does not. Furthermore, who determines what is 'advanced' and what is not?

There seems to be a bit of subjectivity involved. So yes, on the one hand, this is a bit of a tricky issue. On the other, the general consensus defines civilization in much the same way as I just described. The definition I provided is typically along the lines of what you would see in a dictionary or textbook. So, even if it is an oversimplification, it is the commonly understood definition, and for our purposes, we'll just go with it.

The word itself comes from the Latin root _civilis_, meaning civil. The word 'civilization' first began appearing during the Enlightenment. If you're familiar with the Enlightenment, this is not surprising. The Enlightenment was all about civilizing humankind, using reason, education, and science to bring people up to a high state of human functioning.

## Characteristics of Civilization

Historians, anthropologists, and other scholars have identified several core characteristics of civilization. Some of the most commonly suggested characteristics include urban centers, agricultural manipulation and storage, irrigation, written language, standards of measurements, craftsmanship technology, social stratification, state government, a common religion and/or ideological outlook, and a shared culture. Let's quickly go through these terms just to make sure we understand how they contribute to civilization.

Urban centers, of course, would include cities or villages throughout the territory occupied by a civilization. Agricultural manipulation and storage is important because it allows people to ensure their future livelihood, rather than just scrounge for food on a day-by-day basis. Irrigation allows for the growth of crops, and in some cases, clean drinking water and even plumbing.

A written language unites a people, and allows them to communicate ideas with one another. A common system of measurements means that two people understand the same quantity of an object, distance, etc... Craftsmanship technology allows for the building of complex structures, tools, and art.

Social stratification is a fancy way of saying different classes of people - you know, rulers, laborers, slaves, etc... State government refers to a common legal system of political authority. Religion and ideology refer to what a people group believes about God, gods, and/or the way the world works. Perhaps most importantly, **culture** refers to the way of life among a particular group of people.

One of the most important theorists of civilization was V. Gordon Childe, who lived from 1892 to 1957. Many of the characteristics listed above were theorized by him. Not everyone agrees with his ideas, however. Other scholars have proposed other sets of criteria. For example, some have suggested forms of taxation or tribute are characteristic of civilization. Others argue military forces, education systems, and monumental architecture should be included. So you see, not everyone totally agrees on every single point. The bottom line, however, is that civilization exerts control over nature.

## The History of Civilization

Most scholars associate the rise of civilizations with the **Neolithic Revolution**, in which man learned how to manipulate agricultural production rather than just hunt-and-gather. No longer wandering to gather food, human beings began settling in certain locations, giving birth to, ta-da, you guessed it - civilizations! The Neolithic Revolution spanned a wide range of time and began earlier in some areas than others, but it is often said to have peaked around 7000-10000 B.C.

Many scholars have also identified a geographical region where they believe civilizations first arose. According to Western scholars ' **the Cradle of Civilization**,' or the Fertile Crescent as it sometimes called, is the region consisting of the present-day countries of Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and a few others. The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is often called Mesopotamia.

Mesopotamia, in particular, was home to a number of early civilizations, including the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. To the west, another notable civilization, the Egyptians, arose around 3100 B.C. And, of course, there were others. In time, the Greeks and Romans came to power. Through the Middle Ages and the Modern Age, empires gave way to the rise of modern nation-states. And the rest, as they say, is history.

## Lesson Summary

Let's review. **Civilization** is most commonly defined along the lines of an advanced state of human society containing highly developed forms of government, culture, industry, and common social norms. That said, there continues to be debate over what criteria should be used to classify civilization. Written language, agricultural manipulation and storage, state government, social stratification, and a common culture are among the most typically cited characteristics of civilization. **Culture** refers to a shared way of life among a particular group of people.

The rise of civilization is closely associated with the **Neolithic Revolution**, in which man learned to manipulate agriculture, as opposed to hunt-and-gather. Many scholars also suggest that civilization arose from a particular geographical area, often called ' **the Cradle of Civilization**' or the Fertile Crescent. This region consists of the current countries of Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and others.

## Learning Outcomes

When this lesson is done, you should be able to:

- Define civilization as it is recognized by anthropologists and historians
- Describe the characteristics of a civilization
- Identify the area most commonly accepted as the 'Cradle of Civilization'

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