5 Characteristics of Civilization

Advanced cities more than large population centers, cities were centers of religion, politics, and trade for larger areas.

Specialized Workers Also known as the division of labor, food surpluses allowed some people to develop skills other than farming. People made baskets, pottery, metal tools, etc., and traded them for food

Complex Institutions Civilizations need long-standing ways to organize themselves. Examples of complex institutions include law codes, religion, government, and the economy.

Record Keeping and Writing As institutions became more complex, people needed to be able to record information. Most, but not all civilizations developed writing to solve this problem.

Advanced Technology All civilizations came up with new ways of doing things and discovered new materials to work with. Some inventions like the calendar helped organize people.