Civilization

One of Earth’s First Cities Suffered the Same Issues Metropolises Face Today

Researchers now believe that diseases, overcrowding, and climate change eventually forced community members to move away from the settlement.

Inverse

Feasting Rituals — and the Cooperation They Require — Are a Crucial Step Toward Human Civilization

How did civilization emerge from small groups of hunter-gatherers? Some archaeologists focus on cooperation as the vital ingredient — and find evidence for it in the form of feast-related artifacts.

The Conversation

What Happened to Turkey’s Ancient Utopia?

Turkey’s Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük may have been an orderly society built on tolerance and equality — until it fell apart.

Discover