Early civilizations emerged from agricultural surpluses, allowing for social stratification and specialized labor. These societies developed key technologies like metallurgy and writing, setting them apart from nomadic groups with more egalitarian structures.

Neolithic cities like Jericho and Çatalhöyük marked the shift from nomadic to settled life. These early urban centers fostered agricultural growth, technological innovation, and social organization, paving the way for complex civilizations to come.

Early Civilizations

Characteristics of early civilizations

• Agricultural surplus
  • Increased food production through improved farming techniques and tools (irrigation, plows)
  • Supported larger populations and urban growth
  • Freed up labor for non-agricultural roles (artisans, merchants, priests)
• Social stratification
  • Hierarchical division of society based on wealth, occupation, and family lineage
  • Distinct social classes emerged (rulers, nobles, priests, warriors, farmers, slaves)
  • Unequal access to resources, power, and privileges among classes
• Specialized labor
  • Division of work based on specific skills and expertise
  • Non-agricultural roles developed (craftsmen, traders, scribes, bureaucrats)
  • Increased efficiency and output in various economic sectors (agriculture, manufacturing, trade)
  • Interdependence and exchange among different occupational groups

Technological and Cultural Developments

• Agriculture: Cultivation of crops and domestication of animals led to food surpluses
• Metallurgy: Development of metal tools and weapons enhanced productivity and warfare capabilities
• Writing systems: Enabled record-keeping, communication, and preservation of knowledge
• Trade networks: Facilitated exchange of goods, ideas, and cultural practices between regions
• Religion: Emergence of organized belief systems and rituals that shaped social norms and values

Early civilizations vs nomadic societies

• Nomadic societies
  • Relatively equal social structure with limited stratification
  • Consensus-based decision-making involving group members
  • Leadership based on individual abilities and often temporary
  • Smaller, mobile populations with less specialized labor
• Early civilizations
  • Complex social hierarchies with well-defined classes
  • Centralized decision-making by elite rulers (kings, pharaohs, emperors)
  • Institutionalized leadership, often claiming divine mandate
  • Larger, settled populations with highly specialized occupations
  • Greater disparity in wealth, power, and resource distribution

Neolithic Cities

Significance of Neolithic cities

• Jericho (West Bank)
  • One of the first known permanent settlements (~9000 BCE)
  • Walled city with large stone tower, showing advanced building skills and need for defense
  • Evidence of farming (wheat, barley, legumes)
  • Marked shift from nomadic to settled way of life
• Çatalhöyük (Turkey)
  • Neolithic town dating to ~7500 BCE
  • Compact urban layout with mud-brick houses accessed via rooftops
  • Advanced artistic expression (murals, sculptures)
  • Specialized crafts (pottery, textiles)
  • Relatively equal social structure with no clear signs of hierarchy or centralized rule
• Importance of Neolithic cities
  • Transition from nomadic to sedentary lifestyles
  • Spurred agricultural growth and technological innovation
  • Set stage for rise of complex urban civilizations (urbanization)
  • Early examples of social organization, economic specialization, and cultural development