What makes a civilization tick?

How do we determine what IS a civilization?

 People live together in groups and all contribute
in some way. Cities serve a function with a
common government and organization

Example: Charlotte, NC
You contribute as a student by gaining an education
for the future
I contribute as a teacher in order to educate the
public
Police, Firemen, Doctors, Lawyers, Gardeners, etc

Can you think of more examples?

Sumer Charlotte
 Anygovernment that kept things in check
and offered protection to the people

Created laws and rules for people to live

equally and fairly
Governed the people to keep them calm,
tame, and civilized
Without this people would do whatever they
wanted and the civilization would be in chaos
 Itis more than just believing in something,
but having rituals and practices for the
religion

Itis organized religion in which more than a

small group of people believe and worship in
the same way.

It helps the people build morals and guides

them spiritually. There are now leaders for
the religion and important figures to look up
to
 Every person no longer does EVERY single job
They pick a position that they want to do and get really,
really good at it (they become an expert on it)
Kind of like going to college now
Different people have different jobs

These jobs contributed to the society to help make it

better.

These jobs were necessary to the growth of society.

What does specialize mean?

To gain skills that are for a particular purposes. Instead
of being a master of all trades, you pick one and
become the best you can be at it.
 Whatare the jobs that allow us to live
successfully and safely in todays society?
What are the most necessary?
 Division of classes based on social status
Money
Power
ancestors
Use Hierarchy
The ones at the top are the smallest group but hold
the most power
The middle is the second largest group
The bottom is the largest group and holds the least
amount of power due to money
Some people born into classes, others can move
classes up and down by achievements

What is our class system like now?

 The arts go beyond cave painting
They are now done beyond what is necessary, they
become a form of self expression and beauty
Art is created for the purpose of decorating and
worshiping
In the past architecture was only the items that
were necessary
A very basic home with one room used for all
purposes.
No additional buildings or creative buildings
Now architecture is becoming very complex
Decorative and difficult designs
Buildings hold many purposes and there is now a
physical building for just about everything (religion,
bathing, etc)
Before civilizations, the materials
used in architecture were very, very
limited.

They usually consisted of the

materials that were available where
they were living (H.E.I.)

Stone, mud, sticks, etc

As civilization starts to develop, they use
more varied materials to construct their
buildings

They also start to add elements of beauty

to their architecture such as columns,
arches, etc

Periods of history are sometimes

described by the type of architecture
they had during that time
 structures(such as highways or schools or
bridges or docks) constructed at government
expense for public use

Government is taking responsibility for

improving the lives of the people by making
their lives more convenient through the
following

Building of roads, plumbing, irrigation, etc

 Most importantly, you cant be civilized by
historian standards without a written language
to pass ideas and history

Spoken language comes first (through Homo

erectus gathering around the fire and building a
community)
As time passes and more people are speaking,
there becomes a need to turn these spoken
words into written words.
They begin to do this to record religious
documents, and start keeping public records of
land ownership