ABSTRACT
Civilization is a recent phenomenon, arising 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Indeed, only about 5 per cent of human history has been characterized by irrigated agriculture, political administration, writing, calendars, institutionalized longdistance and other civic technologies. Yet, during this brief period, world population has grown from about 20 million to 5.7 billion people, an increase of staggering proportions. This expansive process merits analysis. What are the organizing structures of civilization? How can we measure long-term, large-scale change? What does it mean for civilization to ‘evolve’?
