The Seven Features of Civilizations

A Reliable Food Supply

A society has to have more than enough food for survival. This allows them to focus on other aspects of life as opposed to just farming.

Often times in the ancient world, the production of a food surplus was the result of the flooding of major rivers. When these rivers would flood, the plants would receive rich nutrients and grow plentifully. This meant that not all people had to be restricted to farming each day, and led to job specialization. This meant people could, instead, learn architecture, medicine, and wartime tactics. This led to more advanced societies.

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Think about an adult you know. What job do they hold? Maybe they are an accountant, a banker, a teacher, or an administrative assistant. Do you think they would be able to keep these jobs if they, also, had to worry about growing their own food each day? Probably not! They would probably have to pick one or the other. Ultimately, we as humans need food to survive, so they would probably have to choose farming! Luckily, food surpluses mean that the adult you were thinking of is able to keep their job and, also, come home at the end of their work day without having to water or pick food from their garden to survive.

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What kind of natural event would typically lead to/was the cause of the production of a food surplus?

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The flooding of the rivers would typically lead to the production of a food surplus. When the waters would overflow, the plants would receive rich nutrients that would cause them to grow more plentifully.

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