Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Date: ________ Section: ______ SIX CHARACTERISTICS OF Civilizations
Miss Rice
DIRECTIONS: Each card describes a characteristic of a civilization. Match
each card to its characteristic, then copy the description in the appropriate
“Example” box.
Characteristics of
Civilizations
The presence of geographic
boundaries and political
institutions.
 geographic boundaries =
land claimed, perimeter/fence
(natural: mountains OR
man-made: political lines on map)
 political institutions = government
An economy that produces a food
surplus.
 Enough food for all
A concentration of population in
distinct areas or cities.
 many people in one area
(communities)
Example from
Ancient History
The existence of social classes.
 People divided into groups
based on wealth
Developed systems of religion,
education, art, and architecture.
CULTURE
A system of record keeping.
 Written language (scribes,
records, events, history,
literature, laws, etc…)