Attributes That Have Influenced Western Civilization There have been major influences from ancient civilizations that have helped the development of our Western Civilization today. Two major civilizations that have maybe contributed the most to our civilization are ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Some of their contributions to our world today include farming, sailing and navigation, and the use of their calendar. First, and possibly the most important attribute that have come from the ancient civilizations is the art of farming. The ancient Mesopotamians are credited with inventing farming. Farming