In writing, a word can be substituted with another if the word that substitutes the original word preserves the original meaning of the sentence, this occurs if the new word is a synonym of the original word or describes one element of it, this also implies for understanding whether a word can substitute another the meaning of the original word need to be understood and compare to the meaning of the new word.
In the case of the word "civilization", which is the word that needs to be substituted this word refers to complex societies with systems of communication including writing systems; the development of architecture like the construction of houses or temples; social divisions in which people are organized according to the role and the power and domestication of animals. Considering this definition the word that would best retain the meaning of the sentence is "stratified societies" considering in the definition of civilization one of the main features is the stratification of people according to job and power, which means the "stratified societies" describe one element of "civilization" and therefore one word can replace the other without changing the original meaning of the sentence.
