1. FEATURES OF CIVILIZATION KEY POINTS

2. AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION  Coordination of irrigation  Building drainage systems  Calendar system for planting and harvesting  Secure food supply…leisure time

3. CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT  Passes laws and regulates society  Power concentrated in a small group  Initially a citizen assembly of elders  Early on consensus was important  In crisis a leader would emerge  Over time changes in leadership develop (divine right of monarchs, democracies etc.)  Warfare, righting wrongs etc becomes the domain of the state

4. SPECIALIZATION IN OCCUPATIONS  People had surplus food and time  Engage in other pursuits  Specialists emerge (tax collectors, government officials, record keepers, judges, weavers, coppersmiths, tanners, bakers, brewers, teachers)  People start to enjoy art, architecture, poetry, legends & music

5. CLASS STRUCTURE  As Centralized governments developed, equality was lost  No longer have equal access to land- private ownership develops  Leads to desire to own more, hire others to work land, slavery  Unequal distribution of wealth follows- formation of classes  Nobles and commoners- no middle class  Wealthy nobles control government

6. MERCHANTS AND TRADE  Nature of trade changed  No longer between bands for natural goods and raw materials like obsidian, shell or amber  Now there was a focus on manufactured goods  Luxury items are status symbols for wealthy (rare dyes, precious stones)  The merchant class emerges (traders who earned their money by facilitating the exchange of goods)  Bartering with the merchant class becomes complex and leads to the development of currency  Long distance trade moved people from place to place and civilization to civilization…exchange of not only goods but ideas= cultural diffusion

7. DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE AND WRITING  Time to explore natural world  Advancements in metallurgy, wheel, baked bricks, mortar, simple machines and specialized tools  Writing is linked to the concept of ownership of goods- records  Needing to measure amounts= weights & measures  Recording of laws and taxes

8. STATE RELIGION  Strong link between religion and authority of government  Religion often legitimized the government  Government therefore promoted religion  Although early religions were based upon legitimate expressions of beliefs and spirituality the idea of gods made people accept their positions in society  Not needed for a civilization but show complexity