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1、ANCIENTCIVILIZATIONSThetermcivilizationbasicallymeansthelevelofdevelopmentatwhichpeoplelivetogetherpeacefullyincommunities.Ancientcivilizationrefersspecificallytothefirstsettledandstablecommunitiesthatbecamethebasisforlaterstates,nations,andempires.Thestudyofancient
2、civilizationisconcernedwiththeearliestsegmentsofthemuchbroadersubjectcalledancienthistory.Thespanofancienthistorybeganwiththeinventionofwritinginabout3100BCandlastedformorethan35centuries.Mankindexistedlongbeforethewrittenword,butwritingmadethekeepingofahistoricalre
3、cordpossible.ThefirstancientsocietiesaroseinMesopotamiaandEgyptintheMiddleEast,intheIndusValleyregionofmodernPakistan,intheHuangHe(YellowRiver)valleyofChina,ontheislandofCreteintheAegeanSea,andinCentralAmerica.Allofthesecivilizationshadcertainfeaturesincommon.Theybu
4、iltcities,inventedformsofwriting,learnedtomakepotteryandusemetals,domesticatedanimals,andcreatedfairlycomplexsocialstructureswithclasssystems-Apartfromwrittenrecordsandcarvedinscriptions,theknowledgeaboutancientpeoplesisderivedfromtheworkofarchaeologists.Mostofthesi
5、gnificantarchaeologicalfindingshavebeenmadeinthepast200years.TheSumeriancultureofMesopotamiawasdiscoveredinthe1890s,andsomeofthemostimportantarchaeologicaldigsinChinaweremadeafterthelate1970s.Agriculture—TheBasisofCivilizationThesingle,decisivefactorthatmadeitpossib
6、leformankindtosettleinpermanentcommunitieswasagriculture.AfterfarmingwasdevelopedintheMiddleEastinabout6500BC,peoplelivingintribesorfamilyunitsdidnothavetobeonthemovecontinuallysearchingforfoodorherdingtheiranimals.Oncepeoplecouldcontroltheproductionoffoodandbeassur
7、edofareliableannualsupplyofit,theirliveschangedcompletely.Peoplebegantofoundpermanentcommunitiesinfertilerivervalleys.Settlerslearnedtousethewatersupplytoirrigatetheland.Beingsettledinoneplacemadeitpossibletodomesticateanimalsinordertoprovideothersourcesoffoodandclo
8、thing.Farmingwasarevolutionarydiscovery.Itnotonlymadesettlementspossible—andultimatelythebuildingofcities—butitalsomadeavailableareliablef
