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Civilization is a complex society marked by urban development, social hierarchy, symbolic communication (like writing), and centralized governance. It often reflects a shift from nature-based living to organized structures of agriculture, labor, and culture, led by a ruling elite.”

Civilization

Civilization. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 29, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization

“A civilization or civilisation is any complex society characterized by urban development, social stratification imposed by a cultural elite, symbolic systems of communication (for example, writing systems), and a perceived separation from and domination over the natural environment.”

“Civilization, as its etymology (below) suggests, is a concept originally linked to towns and cities. The earliest emergence of civilizations is generally associated with the final stages of the Neolithic Revolution, culminating in the relatively rapid process of urban revolution and state formation, a political development associated with the appearance of a governing elite.”

“Civilizations are intimately associated with and often further defined by other socio-politico-economic characteristics, including centralization, the domestication of both humans and other organisms, specialization of labour, culturally ingrained ideologies of progress and supremacism, monumental architecture, taxation, societal dependence upon farming and expansionism.
Historically, civilization has often been viewed as a larger and “more advanced” culture, contrasted with smaller, so-called primitive ones. Some scholars have even considered civilizations to be inherently multicultural. In this context, civilizations differ from non-centralized tribal societies such as nomadic pastoralists, Neolithic groups, or hunter-gatherers.”

“Civilizations are organized in densely populated settlements divided into hierarchical social classes with a ruling elite and subordinate urban and rural populations, which engage in intensive agriculture, mining, small-scale manufacture and trade. Civilization concentrates power, extending human control over the rest of nature, including over other human beings. Civilization, as its etymology (below) suggests, is a concept originally linked to towns and cities. The earliest emergence of civilizations is generally associated with the final stages of the Neolithic Revolution, culminating in the relatively rapid process of urban revolution and state formation, a political development associated with the appearance of a governing elite.”