A civilization can be defined as many things. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary a civilization is a relatively high level of cultural and technological development. However, it could also be stated that a civilization is the stage of cultural development at which writing and the keeping of written records is attained. It is the refinement of thoughts and manners in society. Minoan, Mayan, Olmec, Islamic, Egypt, Greek, Roman, China, and India all shared similar qualities of a civilization. The development of these societies as today can be seen as a process of accumulating knowledge. For knowledge is power and the quantity and quality of knowledge or information has fueled the growth of civilizations since the beginning of history. Knowledge leads to the advancement of civilizations, which in turn leads to the gaining of even more knowledge. The development of civilization is linked to information because civilization is information. The characteristics of a civilization include its ethics, laws, technology, philosophy, religion, literature, and art, which are all forms of knowledge.
The article by Gerda Lerner discusses many aspects of life during the time when Mesopotamian societies emerged. Lerner tells that a woman's role in society was their reproductive capabilities in general. Women mainly relied upon men such as their husband's and father's for support, which made them viewed as weak in a society that required and revered hard labor. It is seen throughout history that women were not superior to men because they did not hunt and protect the village like men did. In addition women played no role in military power and were excluded from education. However, powerful women played some roles in religion and cultic service. Also goddesses were an important part of religion and remained active and strong in society. .
Lerner also writes about the importance of religion in the Mesopotamian societies.