I'd say the onset of civilization is marked by the ability to organize politically and amass resources without resorting to whole-sale plunder. What makes the

I'd say the onset of civilization is marked by the ability to organize politically and amass resources without resorting to whole-sale plunder. What makes the Maltese Temple Culture a "Civilization" is the higher population density and their efforts to bend the land to their will, leaving traces that endure for millenia.