Final answer:
Before the advent of civilization, humans lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers, with family units being self-sufficient and no significant differences in wealth. They likely possessed some form of spirituality or animism. The rise of civilization came with the development of agriculture, leading to permanent settlements, urbanization, job specialization, and social stratification.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristics of humans before the advent of civilization largely revolved around a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. People survived by hunting animals and foraging for food, and they lived nomadic lifestyles, constantly moving in response to changing seasonal conditions and resource availability. The family unit was self-sufficient, and there were not great differences in wealth.
These early humans also likely had some form of spirituality or belief in the supernatural as a means of making sense of the world. This concept may have been akin to animism, imbuing people, plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena with a spiritual essence.
However, over time, innovations such as agriculture led to the establishment of permanent settlements. This change gave rise to the early civilizations, which were characterized by urban settings, specialization of labor, increasing social stratification, and greater interaction with other societies through trade.
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