Characteristics of a Civilization

Characteristics of a Characteristics of a CivilizationCivilization

Global History

To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization.

Toynbee, Arnold1852-1883, British Economic Historian and Reformer

Self-actualization(self-knowledge,

fulfillment of personal potential)

Esteem(autonomy, achievement, recognition)

Social(belonging, affection)

Safety(security, protection from harm)

Physiological(Hunger, thirst, shelter)

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

What is a civilization?What is a civilization?

Civilization a society with a complex culture

Culture a shared set of beliefs, values, and traditions; a way of life

Five Characteristics of Civilization

CitiesSpecialized WorkersComplex InstitutionsRecord KeepingAdvanced Technology

1. Cities1. Cities

Central feature of ancient civilizations

Located in fertile river valleys

Nile River

Early Cities Developed Along Rivers

Rivers provided:water supply transportation food supply from animals

Rivers provided challenges:floodingirrigation

Euphrates River

2. Specialized Workers2. Specialized Workers

• Not only farmers, but merchants, artisans, scribes.

• Why?Surplus of food. There was no need to have

everybody farm. This led to bartering or an exchange of goods (basket or cart) for food.

What is an Artisan?

• Artisans specialized in various jobs, such as:• Bricklayers• Blacksmiths

• Created great architecture and art

3. Complex Institutions3. Complex Institutions

• Formal governments & laws• Religion/priests with religious duties

and/or political power• Education system (mostly for priests

& scribes)

Complex Institution: Governments

• Early governments were first headed by priests

• Later controlled by warrior chiefs or kings

• These kings became hereditary rulers

Complex Institutions: Governments Continued

Governments became more complex as new responsibilities arose such as:• tax collecting• law making• handling public works projects• organizing systems of defense

Complex Institution: Religion

Generally polytheistic• Many gods represented natural forces• Others controlled human activities• Priests and worshippers tried to gain

gods’ favor through complex rituals and sacrifice

Temples often built to honor specific gods and goddesses

Complex Institution: Religion

Myan TempleEgyptian Temple Mesopotamian Ziggurat

Complex Institution: Social Structure

People ranked according to their profession

ChiefPriestsNobles

Wealthy merchantsArtisans

Peasants/farmersSlaves

Egyptian Social Structure

Complex Institution: Social Structure

Ruling classes: Based often on military prowessOriginally elected, later hereditaryPerceived as offspring of gods

Religious classes:Role: intervention with gods to ensure

fertility, safetyConsiderable landholdings, other

economic activities

Complex Institution: Social Structure

Free commoners:

Peasant cultivators

Some urban professionals

Slaves:

Prisoners of war, convicted criminals, debtors

Social Structure - Patriarchal Society

• Men as landowners, relationship to status

• Patriarchy: “rule of the father”

Right to sell wives, children• Double standard of sexual morality

Women drowned for adultery

Relaxed sexual mores for men

Social Structure - Patriarchal Society

• Yet some possibilities of social mobility for women

Court advisers, temple priestesses, economic activity

• Introduction of the veil at least c. 1500 BCE

4. Record Keeping4. Record Keeping

System of Writing

Cuneiform, hieroglyphics, & pictographs

Quipu series of strings used by the Inca to record statistics

Writing Continued

Probably first used by priestsEarliest writing used pictograms

Chinese Calligraphy

Egyptian Hieroglyphs

Mesopotamian cuneiform

Development of Writing

• Sumerian writing systems form 3500 BCE

• Pictographs• Cuneiform: “wedge-shaped”

• Preservation of documents on clay• Declines from 400 BCE with spread

of Greek alphabetic script

Writing Continued

Symbols later added to represent words and then sounds

Scribes were specially trained to read, write, and record information

5. Advanced Technology5. Advanced Technology

The wheel and the plowBronze weaponsThe Sail

Bibliography

Annenberg/CPB American Association for the

Advancement of ScienceMcGraw-Hill Co. Unitedstreaming.com