What Defines a Civilization?

"Civilization (from the Latin civis=citizen and civitas= city) is a term applied to any society which has developed a writing system, government, production of surplus food, division of labor, and urbanization. The term is difficult to define because not all "civilizations" include every one of the above facets."

"Mesopotamia, as the site of the Fertile Crescent, is famously known as the "cradle of civilization" which saw the rise of the first cities, but this designation was made prior to the identification of the Indus Valley Civilization in 1924-1925 or the discovery of Göbekli Tepe (first recorded in 1963) in 1994."

"Mesopotamia is still regarded as the birthplace of civilization as the people who built Göbekli Tepe are thought to have been semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers and the Indus Valley Civilization did not begin constructing its great cities until the Mature Harappan Period (circa 2800 to circa 1900 BCE) whereas the city of Eridu in Mesopotamia was founded circa 5400 BCE."

Civilization is defined by characteristics including writing systems, government structures, surplus food production, division of labor, and urbanization. The term remains difficult to define precisely because not all societies possess every element. Early civilizations include Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, and China's Xia Dynasty. While Göbekli Tepe and early Chinese settlements existed earlier, they lacked permanent urban centers. Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of civilization because Eridu was founded around 5400 BCE, predating Egyptian cities by approximately 1400 years and the Indus Valley's major urban development. City construction has historically been considered essential for civilization status.

Read at World History Encyclopedia