What Are the 10 Criteria of a Civilization?
According to V. Gordon Childe, the 10 criteria of a civilization are foreign trade, increased settlement size, writing, political organization based on residence rather than kinship, class-stratified society, representational art, full-time specialists in nonsubsistence activities, knowledge of science and engineering, large-scale public works and concentration of wealth. Childe also coined the term “urban revolution,” a phenomenon caused by growth of technology and increased food supplies.
The earliest signs of civilization can be traced back to the Eastern Mediterranean region, where the Natufian people are thought to have become sedentary in 12,000 B.C. The area was favorable for fishing, hunting and gathering, so the people began setting up villages. By 10,000 B.C., they became the first known agricultural society.
