A Study of Civilization and Isolation
A Study of Civilization and Isolation
Transformations in the way early humans developed their culture and society led to the marked distinctions that define their civilization. Intellectual, cultural and material developments are the driving factors behind the formation of the Mesopotamian civilization. Civilization in the West states that the Mesopotamians had survival in mind when they began forming a civilization ; however, I believe that they envisioned a greater existence in forming a civilization. The Minoan civilization was destined to remain isolated on the island of Crete. In contrast, the Mesopotamians' option of migrating anywhere in the Middle East proves conclusively that they sought a better life for themselves through the formation of a centralized civilization.
Mesopotamia is considered the first civilization ever created and it was no accident that it formed. One could say that the people of Mesopotamia came together to fight the powers of Mother Nature. It was obvious that Mother Nature was not on their side, whether it be the thin soil in the north or the lack of rain in the south. Mesopotamians that once settled in scattered towns and villages came together to form small settlements and towns that they used to build irrigation systems. In centralizing their population, they benefited from the additional manpower that was necessary to carry on the irrigation systems that gave them a better day to day life. Organization of an agriculture system was one of the first signs that Mesopotamia formed a civilization.
Incorporating other Mesopotamian towns into the control of the settled towns denoted expansion. Urbanization followed expansion, thus allowing people to congregate in one designated area. However, as a result of the pressure put on the cities' food supplies, inhabitants would pursue material development by stealing from surrounding neighbors. The benefit that the Mesopotamians reaped from forming a civilization was that they could seek protection within the walls of their settlement. In other words, they sought protection in numbers.
Before forming civilizations, the people of Mesopotamia were not isolated as the inhabitants of Crete were. Hence, there had to be certain motivational factors other than isolation that brought the Mesopotamian people together. The small cities that were so important to protection also served other purposes. Arguably, the most important purpose is that they brought together the ideas of so many people into one congregated area, a feature that the island of Crete provided without migration to cities....