What are Early Civilizations?
The term civilization refers to a complex human society, which combines together human settlements with certain characteristic cultural and technological developments. This commonly refers to urban settlements. Human civilization began with some agricultural settlements for producing surplus food and allowing people to trade for economic development. It helped people to increase their food production, trade, non-agricultural works, and other social stratification. A huge population gathered and created their settlements, where the geographical location was suitable for them.
Later, administrations and states emerged to control the population of large areas. People practiced certain religions and certain languages for communication. Later, they started having laws and cultural practices for enhancing themselves. This article will explain the introduction of civilization and its geographical location in detail.
Introduction of Civilization- Degrees of Complexity
Ancient people would choose a place for a civilization based on the availability of food sources. Even nowadays people will relocate to new locations only for the resources. Thousands of years ago, the first civilization began. People created the first civilization for the agricultural produces, social hierarchy, allowing for specialized labour, and the establishment of cities. The identities of each civilization are its monumental architecture, complex religion, writing, and centralized political power.
Historians will usually think civilization is an advanced stage for the progression of human cultural evolution. If society remains different and disconnected from others then, historians or anthropologists have represented the society in terms of ‘civilization’. The civilization shows a wide variety of social structures and levels of complexity.
First Civilizations
The 1st civilization developed from the major river valleys because the floodplains had rich soil and the river provided all the required water for agriculture. Also, the river was used for transportation. The basic civilizations developed urbanization and complexity without the influence of the outside world. Other ancient civilizations either borrowed elements or built on or incorporated them with other civilizations. The early societies arose independently and other ancient civilizations followed them. Historians and archaeologists did various research on different civilizations including the first civilization in the world. The only geographical structure cannot explain the rise of the first civilizations. People who entered the early civilization processed agriculture for thousands of years and developed their own culture and religion.
Similarities Among Ancient Civilizations?
The various features which shows similarities among the ancient civilizations are as under:
Presence of Cities
The centre of all early civilizations has a city.
People from the entire civilization will come to cities for life, work and trade.
The people from civilization have their own government, religion, and language for facilitating the people, who are living in the particular civilization.
The cities were mainly concentrated on religious, political, and social institutions.
Later, they were subdivided into small separate communities.
Political and Social Structure
People who belonged to a certain state were kept under a single political structure.
Here, the larger communities were connected under a common political system.
Because the political structure of civilization plays an important role in rising civilizations.
As the political structure of civilization mainly attracts a huge population towards them for labour and resources.
Religion
The first civilization in the world was unified by religion with other civilizations.
As many people practising the set of beliefs and behaviour, they were kept under the common ground and have mutual trust and respect with each other.
Politics and Religion
Politics and religion created huge connections among people in certain civilizations.
The political leaders and the religious leaders belong to early civilizations that work for the development of civilization.
Also, religious leaders always support political leaders. So, both the political and religious organizations joined hands together to create and reinforce social hierarchies.
This was provided with the distinction among individual people and between different groups.
The political leaders had rights and the ability to decide on entire societies regarding war, administration etc.
The religious leaders in cities took care of society and made communication between people and god.
Different Classes and Economic Production
Artisans of early civilization were provided goods and services.
Merchants got engaged with the trade of goods.
The lower classes labourers of early civilization were involved to do work for high-class people and they were mainly treated as slaves.
All the mentioned classes are involved in the economic production of a city.
Writing
People in early civilization started writing and maintaining records for managing complex institutions in a better way.
Early Mesopotamia have Cuneiform writings, which helped historians to track their economic exchange.
Ancient China civilization has Oracle bone inscriptions, which helped to predict the future and spiritual associations.
Perform calculations of South America were kept as records for Quipu—knotted strings.
The writings of particular civilizations were only eligible for a particular population.
Writings also helped to adopt and maintain new laws and orders.
The Code of Ur-Nammu from Sumer was the first legal code or written collection of laws, which was written from 2100 to 2050 BCE.
Around 1760 BCE, the Code of Hammurabi from Babylon was written.
All these written laws helped people to have a consistent legal system.
Written information also created significant developments in civilization.
So, many civilizations maintained consistent and shared records and laws. A literate population also increases the strength of civilization.
Architecture
Different civilizations have another notable feature, that was monumental architecture.
The monumental architectures were mainly created for political or religious purposes and sometimes for the public.
The pyramids present in Egypt were constructed to preserve the body of the dead ruler.
The Pyramids and ziggurats of Mesopotamia were from American societies and became a platform for temples.
Defensive walls and sewer systems were constructed for defense and sanitation.
For the monumental architecture, many other organizations came forward and constructed large structures.
Many ancient civilizations had many common features. Agrarian communities of the civilizations took responsibility for providing enough food for all other peoples. Ancient civilization cities also followed the social hierarchies based on gender, wealth, and labour decisions. Some states also developed powerful states and armies and collected taxes from the public for maintaining them.
Knowing complete information about the civilization is very difficult and classifying the civilizations according to it is also impossible. Because, the people belong to the Niger River Valley in West Africa said to have achieved urbanization, agricultural surplus, and some specialization of labour. But they never had strong social hierarchies, political structures, or written language. Each civilization was an expert in different areas.
Conclusion
This article gives you complete information about the early societies and how different civilizations developed in detail and major similarities found in the early civilizations of the world.
FAQs on Early Civilization: Meaning, History, Similarities & More
1. What is the meaning of an 'early civilization' in history?
An early civilization refers to a complex and highly organised human society that emerged in ancient times. Unlike simpler prehistoric groups, civilizations are characterised by several key features, including the development of cities (urban centres), a centralised government, organised religion, social hierarchies, and a system for record-keeping, such as writing. They represent a significant shift in how human beings lived, moving from nomadic lifestyles to settled, large-scale communities. For more details on this topic, you can refer to an overview of Early Civilization.
2. When did the first civilizations begin to emerge?
The world's first civilizations began to emerge approximately between 4000 and 3000 BCE. This period, following the Neolithic Revolution, was marked by the successful development of agriculture. The dawn of agriculture allowed people to produce a surplus of food, which supported larger populations and enabled them to settle in one place, leading to the growth of the first cities and complex societies.
3. What are the key characteristics that define a society as a civilization?
Historians generally identify several key characteristics that distinguish a civilization from other societies. These include:
- Urban Centres: The presence of large, densely populated cities that serve as centres for trade, government, and culture.
- Complex Institutions: Organised government, laws, and religious institutions to manage the society.
- Specialised Labour: A division of labour where people have different jobs, such as artisans, priests, soldiers, and farmers, rather than everyone doing the same work.
- Social Stratification: A hierarchical social structure with different classes, such as rulers, commoners, and slaves.
- Advanced Technology: The development of new tools and techniques, such as metalworking (e.g., bronze), irrigation systems, and the wheel.
- Record-Keeping: A system of writing to keep records of laws, trade, and history.
4. Which were the world's first major civilizations?
The four most widely studied early civilizations, often called the "cradles of civilization," are:
- Mesopotamia: Located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the modern-day Middle East. The Mesopotamian civilization is often credited as being the first.
- Ancient Egypt: Developed along the banks of the Nile River in North Africa.
- Indus Valley Civilization: Flourished in the basin of the Indus River, in what is now Pakistan and northwest India.
- Ancient China: Emerged along the Yellow (Huang He) and Yangtze rivers.
5. What are the most common similarities found among early civilizations?
Despite developing in different parts of the world, early civilizations shared remarkable similarities. Most importantly, they all arose in river valleys, which provided fertile land and water for agriculture. Other common features include a polytheistic religion (worship of many gods), the construction of large public structures like temples and palaces, the development of a social class system, and the establishment of trade networks with neighbouring regions.
6. Why did most early civilizations develop in river valleys?
Early civilizations developed in river valleys for several critical reasons that were essential for supporting a large, settled population. Rivers provided a reliable source of fresh water for drinking and irrigation. The annual flooding of rivers, like the Nile or Tigris, deposited nutrient-rich silt, creating extremely fertile soil ideal for farming. This led to agricultural surpluses, which were the foundation of urban life. Additionally, rivers served as natural transportation routes, facilitating trade and communication.
7. How did the development of early civilizations lead to the formation of organised states?
The formation of organised states was a direct consequence of the complexities of civilized life. An agricultural surplus allowed for population growth, but it also created new challenges. To manage large-scale irrigation projects, store and distribute surplus food, and resolve disputes among a dense population, a formal leadership structure became necessary. This led to the rise of governments and rulers who created laws, collected taxes to fund public projects, and organised armies for defence. These structures are the foundation of what we call a state. This is detailed in topics like New Kings and Kingdoms.
8. What role did technological advancements, like the use of bronze, play in the growth of early civilizations?
Technological advancements were a catalyst for the growth of early civilizations. The discovery of how to make bronze by alloying copper and tin marked a significant leap forward, known as the Bronze Age. Bronze was harder and more durable than stone, leading to more efficient farming tools (ploughs), which increased food production, and superior weapons for warfare, which helped in building and defending empires. Other key inventions like the wheel revolutionised transportation and pottery-making, while the development of writing was crucial for administration and preserving knowledge.
9. How does a 'civilization' differ from the prehistoric societies that came before it?
The primary difference between a civilization and a prehistoric society lies in scale and organisation. Prehistoric societies, such as those in the Paleolithic era, were typically small, nomadic hunter-gatherer groups with a relatively egalitarian social structure. In contrast, civilizations are characterised by:
- Sedentary Lifestyle: People live permanently in one location.
- Large Population: Cities house thousands of people.
- Food Production: Reliance on organised agriculture instead of hunting and gathering.
- Complex Social Structure: Clear social hierarchies and specialised jobs, unlike the more uniform roles in tribal societies.
10. What is a common misconception about early civilizations?
A common misconception is that people in early civilizations were 'primitive' or simple. In reality, they were incredibly sophisticated and innovative. They developed complex systems of mathematics and astronomy to predict seasons and design monumental structures like the pyramids of Egypt and ziggurats of Mesopotamia. They also created intricate legal codes, like the Code of Hammurabi, and produced timeless works of art and literature. Evidence from ancient books and burials continually reveals the depth of their knowledge and the complexity of their societies.
