what were the characteristics of the world's first civilization

Question

I'd like to know it for my assignment questions 

Answer 1

The first civilizations developed around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Mesopotamia. Before settling into “civilizations” (which is a broad term and has evolved along with society) humans were hunters and gatherers. They were nomadic and traveled to where there was food. However, the climate at the time around 3,000 BCE (3,000 BCE – 2,000 BCE is when these first civilizations were forming) allowed for pockets of abundance. Places where there was an abundance of plants and animals (attracted by the plants) that allowed for the humans to settle into one place.

As humans settled down they became sedentary. They forgot the nomadic ways and adapted techniques to allow them to increase their agricultural output. First, utilizing human power for agriculture and later domesticating animals and utilizing their power. Rivers were important because they allowed for a source of water as well as irrigation for farming. As food supply allowed for a larger population the population increased. Thus making it even harder for humans to give up a sedentary life-style and return to a nomadic one.

As the population expanded humans increased the boundaries of their settlements. Making larger villages that allowed for specialization of resources. Specialization led to some people having more of certain necessities (such as food). This gave them more “power” and allowed for the rise of a wealthier class. These people who had more often became “big man” (reference to a practice in Polynesia) and these positions developed into the nobility that we are familiar with in Europe. Specialization and an abundance of resources also meant that people could specialize in jobs; such as religious persons (shamans and the like).

There is a good book (though a high level) that gives an overview of history from the “big bang” to present day. It is good in seeing different theories on how civilization developed. The book is: Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History, by David Christian (who is a history professor).

Answer 2

I like Dave's answer above; indeed, the first ones were "hydraulic civilizations" (Wittfogeld), by rivers. The place chosen to build a city ('civitas') was by a large mass of water, and in a high place like the top of a mound/hill (hence the Aztec word for city 'altepetl' alt=water, tepetl=hill). Agriculture, shepherding, cattle, were the main economic activities, although they were complemented by the occasional hunting spree. In the traditions of many cultures, the original founders of cities, creators of civilizations, were generally famous hunters (Nimrod of the Bible. Naram Sim of Mesopotamia) and warriors (the legendary Narmer of Egypt), as well as priestly kings (Eannatum was 'patesi' of Lagash in Sumer) since each city was under the protection of a particular divinity; they were also famous for erecting the walls of the city (Gilgamesh built the ones at Erech/Uruk). The spiritual, political and socioeconomic importance of these 1st kings of the 'civitas' was great.

Answer 3

This question isn't in my field, but I believe the answer is this:

 

When people don't have to spend all their time just getting food and shelter to survive, they can use their time to create more things, such as art, an upper class, recreation.... all the things that combine to change a group of surviving people into a culture and civilization.   Easy food back then meant river valleys, where water and rich soil combined to make farming much less time consuming and also provided easy pasture for flocks and herds.  All the really ancient civilizations were founded along river valleys:  The Chinese on the Yellow, the Indians (South Asia) along the Ganges, the Egyptians along the Nile, the Mississippians, etc.  This easier food in one place allowed people to create permanent buildings and stop roaming to follow the hunting, etc.  Populations would also grow, speeding up the growth of the civilization.

 

Bottom line, I think, is an Agricultural society, rather than hunter/gatherers, which was only possible along the fertile river valleys.