8 Common Factors of Civilization

1. 8 Common Factors of Civilization What makes a civilization tick? How do we determine what IS a civilization?

2. Cities • 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?

3. Cities Sumer Charlotte

4. Organized Government • Any government 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

5. Complex Religion • It is more than just believing in something, but having rituals and practices for the religion • It is 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

6. Job Specialization • 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.

7. Job Specialization • What are the jobs that allow us to live successfully and safely in today’s society? What are the most necessary?

8. Social Classes • 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?

9. Arts and Architecture • 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)

10. 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

11. 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

13. Public Works • 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

14. Writing or Written Language • Most importantly, you can’t 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