Growth doesn't mean that nothing dies. Individual people die, individual businesses go out of business, and yes, civilizations are conquered. That doesn't mean

Growth doesn't mean that nothing dies. Individual people die, individual businesses go out of business, and yes, civilizations are conquered. That doesn't mean that growth isn't happening on a higher/macro level. If you want to pick a civilization whose gifts weren't subsumed into a larger, still growing civilization, you'd have to pick, what, Atlantis? A myth? OK then.