How civilisations began
A civilisation did not appear all at once. It grew slowly over thousands of years through a step-by-step process. Understanding this process helps us see how simple groups of people became advanced societies.
The steps of the process
- Settling beside rivers — Early people chose to live near rivers such as the Tigris, Euphrates, Nile and Huang He because there was water and fertile soil.
- Farming — They learned to grow crops and tame animals, so they no longer needed to wander in search of food.
- Surplus food — Good harvests gave extra food, so not everyone had to farm. Some became traders, builders or priests.
- Growth of villages into cities — As the population grew, villages became towns and then large cities.
- Government and rules — Larger groups needed leaders and laws to keep order.
- Writing and knowledge — People created writing to keep records, and developed skills and religion.
Remember
- Rivers gave water and fertile soil for farming.
- Surplus food let people do other jobs besides farming.
- Bigger societies needed government, laws and writing.
This is why the earliest civilisations grew in river valleys. Water and fertile land made farming possible, and farming made settled, organised life possible.