CHARACTERISTICS OF CIVILIZATIONS

WHAT MAKES CIVILIZATIONS DIFFERENT?

1. “An advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached.”

2. A civilization is a large group of people who like and work together.

3. A group of people that share a single culture.

4. Each civilization has certain things in common…

SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT1. A government’s job is

to make people’s life orderly.

2. The government enforces laws, collects taxes, and build public works (sewers, parks, roads, etc.)

3. In the ancient world, most civilizations were ruled by kings.

WRITING1. Before writing, any

ideas could only spread by what people said.

2. The written language allows the laws, ideas, and words of a civilization to spread beyond a city’s walls.

3. This also allowed later civilizations to study the past – the birth of history.

CULTURE1. The beliefs and

behaviors of a society.

2. Culture gives a civilization its “flavor;” it makes it unique.

3. Includes things like art, music, food, and clothing.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE 1. Civilization have

complex societies.2. Social structures

includes different jobs and social levels.

3. Different classes in society, such as priests, merchants, artists, and farmers.

TECHNOLOGY1.Creating new

technologies makes life easier.

2.Creating new technologies helps civilizations advance themselves

3.Without new technology, civilizations go stale and are overtaken by others.

STABLE FOOD SUPPLY1.People need enough

food!2.As towns and cities

grew larger, people had to find new ways to produce more food.

3.Inventions like irrigation, farming tools, and new crops help civilizations produce more food.

RELIGION1. All civilizations have

some form of a belief system.

2. Many ancient civilizations were polytheistic

A. Polytheistic: worshipping many different gods.

3. People tried to please their gods to bring good crops and settle arguments.