USA: +1 508 290 1604 
Sign in
Almost all the continents of the world have places that are commonly referred to as ruins, certain geographical places where stones, sculptures, and features tell tales of civilizations that once thrived. These ruins may either be found on the surface, buried underground, in the jungle, or even in the outskirts of major cities. Civilizations have been known to rise throughout history, some falling, declining, or disappearing after reaching their peak of power, while others continue to grow and thrive for thousands of years. Just like the germination of a plant requires the presence of warmth, oxygen, and water, there are a number of requirements for a civilization to thrive. Without the presence of the requirements, a civilization collapses or takes a declining trajectory, eventually disappearing from the face of the earth. In this paper, the various reasons why civilizations collapse or thrive are discussed, using examples of civilizations that rose to their peak before declining and examples of others that continue thriving to date.
THE GROWTH OF CIVILIZATIONS
Just like an ecosystem, civilizations have specific requirements in order for them to thrive. While it is not easy to identify every requirement or factor that contributes to the growth or rise of civilization, various common factors for most civilizations have been identified by researchers. There are various important factors that account for civilization, as discussed below.
A large population that is centralized and organized. Civilizations are created by people who live in a central region and that are organized (Trigger 2003). It is not possible for a civilization to emerge where there are no people living. There has to be an adequate number of people to provide manpower and ideas for a civilization to emerge and thrive. Civilizations emerge where a large number of people live and the people have to be centralized for civilization to begin. Prior to the Neolithic revolution, people were hunters and gatherers, meaning that they moved from place to place looking for food instead of settling in a specific place with stable food supply. There were no civilizations during this time. However, during the Neolithic revolution, people started learning how to carry out agricultural activities and how to domesticate animals for food products, which enabled them to settle at a specific place and have a stable supply of food. Centralization contributed to the rise of civilization.
A stable supply of surplus food and water. Just as with a large population, a stable supply of food is crucial to civilization. Since civilization begins where a large population of people gathers and settles, it is very important that the population gets adequate food supply. Water also has to be in plenty, as it is necessary for life and for agriculture. During the Neolithic revolution, people were able to produce wheat, rice, maize, potatoes, beans, and barley, which provided enough food for them (Weisdorf 561). They also domesticated cattle, sheep, goats, chicken, and ducks, providing enough food for nutrition. A well-fed population is necessary for civilization.
A favorable environment. The area where a population settles plays a huge role in civilization. Availability of food and water is determined by environmental factors and the climate of an area. When people settle in an area that has a favorable environment, say the constant supply of clean water and fertile soils, they are able to practice agriculture and produce adequate food (Weisdorf 562). In other cases, a favorable environment could provide a community with other resources such as minerals and metals. All these are important for civilization and community development. Settling in areas with permanent sources of water such as oceans and rivers ensures that people have enough water for drinking and for irrigation. Fish is also derived from water bodies for food purposes, and rivers and seas are important means of transport. The area of settlement, therefore, plays an important role in the development of civilization.
Innovation and a shared culture. In order for civilization to start, a community has to come up with new innovations and be creative. During the Neolithic revolution, people started developing new technology such as stone-working techniques to develop agricultural tools and tools for slaughtering animals. This was an innovation or development from the use of wooden tools that were less efficient. The plow and tools such as spears were developed for use in agriculture and killing domesticated animals for food (Weisdorf 565). In addition, when people settle in an area, they form a community or settlement, which eventually grows into civilization through a shared culture and way of doing things.
FACTORS THAT DETERMINE WHETHER CIVILIZATIONS THRIVE OR FALL
It is natural that any form of harm to a large centralized population may result in the eventual collapse of a civilization. Such harm could be in the form of an epidemic disease, warfare, or a culture change. American geographer, author, and historian, Jared Diamond, pinpointed five major factors that determine the rise or collapse of civilizations in his book Guns, Germs, and Steel (Jared 1997). The factors identified by Jared (1997) are the human impact on the surroundings; change in weather and climate; relationships with neighboring communities; relations with communities that are hostile; and political, social, and economic factors. These are the common factors that determine the trajectory that civilization takes, ultimately determining whether it thrives of collapses after reaching its peak. There are several examples of past civilizations that have fallen and disappeared, including the Polynesian societies in the Pacific Ocean islands of Pitcairn and Henderson, the Maya of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, and the Moche society of Peru.
There are also several examples of civilizations that took a different trajectory and thrived for thousands of years, including societies living in Japan, the New Guinea Highlands, Tikopia, and Northwest Europe. Jared (1997) explains that the collapse or thriving of civilization is as a result of the choices that a community makes, and that the collapse of a civilization is evitable.
Human impact on the environment and climate change. When a community’s environmental impact affects food or water supply, the society is at risk of being wiped out. When the activities of society threaten food supply, the society puts itself under the risk of extinction as the availability of food is a necessary factor for any civilization to thrive. The Akkadian empire was decimated by a long period of drought between 2200B.C. and 2500B.C. It is also believed that the Khmer civilization of Cambodia fell as a result of drought between the 9th and the 14th century. According to Jared (TED Talks: Jared Diamond—Why Societies Collapse 2008), the Vikings caused deforestation and rampant soil erosion to make iron and charcoal, which ultimately resulted in them becoming an iron age community and being unable to make any more iron. When a society destroys the resource base on which they depend, the society puts itself at risk of extinction. Changes in the climate also affect civilizations. When the climates get colder or hotter, a civilization may be negatively affected. However, climate change does not always wipe out a society, as some communities are able to survive colder temperatures.
Relationships with neighboring friendly communities. The relations that exist between a society and its neighbors influence its activities and determines its survival or fall. When a good relationship exists between a community and its neighboring friendly communities and the relations fade, the community benefiting may collapse. The Greenland Norse had trade relations with Norway. When the trade dwindled as a result of sea ice between the communities and the weakening of Norway, the Norse society dwindled. Trade relations were beneficial to the Greenland Norse and the dwindling of trade affected the civilization negatively.
Relations with communities that are hostile. Hostility between communities can result in the extinction of one of the communities. A good example of such a scenario would be the hostility between the Greenland Norse and the Eskimos. The Eskimos killed the Norse and blocked their access to the fields where the Norse would capture seals for food (TED Talks: Jared Diamond—Why Societies Collapse 2008). The Mayan civilization is another example of a civilization that was diminished as a result of factors such as hostility between communities. After the 16th century invasion by Spain, the Mayan civilization was affected by severe warfare, diseases introduced by the invaders, and the introduction of a new culture, governance, and faith (Haug et al. 1731). Hostility and invasion have wiped out various civilizations across history, including the civilization of Sumer, Mesopotamia, which dwindled after several invasions in the 2nd millennium B.C.
Political, economic, and social factors. Various social, economic, and political factors of a society may affect its survival. The Vikings, for example, depended on iron and charcoal for their livelihood, which ultimately resulted in their fall when they could no longer make their own iron (Diamond 2005). The Roman Empire depended on slavery and conquest, which became unsustainable in the long term (Damien 2010). Fewer conquests, political turbulence, and fewer slaves ultimately became the unwinding of the Roman economic engine, especially when the rulers of the empire devalued currency through inflation and oppressive taxation.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, civilizations rise or fall depending on a number of intertwined factors. These factors include climate changes; relations that exist between communities; the human impact on the environment; and various social, economic, and political factors. It is important that today’s civilizations learn from the past civilizations that have fallen, and respond to these factors in the right way to avoid their own collapse. Issues such as warfare and the impact that we have on the environment should not be ignored, as they have brought many civilizations down. The collapse of a civilization is not an inevitable affair, as it can be avoided through effective response to changes in climate, maintenance of good relations between communities, environmental conservation, and cultural adjustments.
Works Cited
Damien, Mark. “The Fall of Rome.” Utah State Department of History. 2010. Accessed 22 July 2019, from http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/1320hist&civ/chapters/08romfal.htm
Diamond, Jared. Collapse: How societies choose to fail or succeed. Penguin, 2005.
Haug, Gerald H., et al. “Climate and the collapse of Maya civilization.” Science 299.5613 (2003): 1731-1735.
Jared, Diamond. “Guns, germs, and steel: the fates of human societies.” NY: WW Norton & Company 14 (1997).
Trigger, Bruce G. Understanding early civilizations: a comparative study. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
“TED Talks: Jared Diamond—Why Societies Collapse.” Films Media Group, 2008. Accessed 22 July 2019 from https://fod.infobase.com/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=48374
Weisdorf, Jacob L. “From foraging to farming: explaining the Neolithic Revolution.” Journal of Economic surveys 19.4 (2005): 561-586.
To get your original copy of this completed paper, please Order Now
Related Topics
National Rifles Association (ANSWERED)
