(1) Where did the earliest civilizations develop (similar physical characteristic)?

Civilizations first appeared in Mesopotamia (what is now Iraq) and later in Egypt. Civilizations thrived in the Indus Valley by about 2500 BCE, in China by about 1500 BCE and in Central America (what is now Mexico) by about 1200 BCE. Civilizations ultimately developed on every continent except Antarctica.

answer is :

many churches split during the movement.

new religions grew in popularity.