What traits did these civilizations have in common? In what ways did they differ? Do you think there are certain traits or conditions that were necessary for the development of these civilizations? Why?
Answers
Answer:
Civilizations
A civilization is a complex human society that may have certain characteristics of cultural and technological development.
GRADES
5 - 8
SUBJECTS
Anthropology, Archaeology, Sociology, Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Ancient Civilizations
290
IMAGE
Mandalay Myanmar
This forest of Buddhist shrines remains at Myanmar's (Burma's) first capital.
PHOTOGRAPH BY W.E. GARRE
ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY VOCABULARY
A civilization is a complex human society, usually made up of different cities, with certain characteristics of cultural and technological development. In many parts of the world, early civilizations formed when people began coming together in urban settlements. However, defining what civilization is, and what societies fall under that designation, is a hotly contested argument, even among today’s anthropologists.
The word “civilization” relates to the Latin word “civitas” or “city.” This is why the most basic definition of the word “civilization” is “a society made up of cities.” But early in the development of the term, anthropologists and others used “civilization” and “civilized society” to differentiate between societies they found culturally superior (which they were often a part of), and those they found culturally inferior (which they referred to as “savage” or “barbaric” cultures). The term “civilization” was often applied in an ethnocentric way, with “civilizations” being considered morally good and culturally advanced, and other societies being morally wrong and “backward.” This complicated history is what makes defining a civilization troublesome for scholars, and why today’s modern definition is still in flux.