Morgan believed (1877) that all cultures passed through these stages of development, although some became "stuck" in a stage. A simpler explantion is that these 'stages' are levels of understanding achieved by a civilization.
| Level Of Understanding | Characteristic |
| Civilization | Alphabet and writing |
|---|
| Barbarism | Upper | Iron tools |
|---|
| Middle | Domestication of plants and animals |
|---|
| Lower | Pottery |
|---|
| Savagery | Upper | Bow and arrow |
|---|
| Middle | Fish subsistence and fire |
|---|
| Lower | Fruit and nut subsistence |
|---|
| NB. From 'Human Antiquity' chapter 15 'The Evolution Of Civilization' |