Final answer:
Division of labor is an economic concept where work is divided into specialized tasks, enabling efficiency and development of skills, which played a crucial role in the emergence of civilizations. Civilizations arose in areas with a dense population, producing surplus resources that supported large cities and complex societal structures. Walls were constructed by societies for protection, control, and as symbols of power.
Step-by-step explanation:
Division of labor refers to the practice of dividing tasks into discrete roles, where individuals specialize in specific types of work. This specialization enhances efficiency and contributes to the development of skills and production techniques. In the context of early societies, division of labor was a fundamental step in the evolution of civilizations. For instance, in ancient Mesopotamia, which existed around 5,000 years ago, the population was divided into various occupations such as leather workers, metalworkers, weavers, soldiers, and priests. This specialization allowed for the production of a surplus of goods and services, which in turn supported social hierarchies and complex societal structures.
Civilizations generally emerged where there was a concentration of population who worked together to produce an excess of essential resources like food. The surplus facilitated by agricultural advancements led to population growth and the development of urban centers. The system of specialization in early civilizations, where people relied on the exchange of goods and services, allowed for various developments, including large-scale architecture, stratified social classes, technological progress, and cultural sophistication.
People often construct walls around their societies for several reasons, such as protection from outside threats, control over the movement of goods and people, and as a marker of sovereignty and power. As the society becomes more complex, the need to safeguard accumulated resources and maintain internal order often leads to the construction of such fortifications.