Prehistoric, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian Civilization
The Sumerians. Are they really the "cradle of civilization''? Think about it. 10,000 BCE were the Neanderthals who's main way of survival was hunting and gathering. Before them was the Homo Sapiens which was 200,000 BCE. Then BAM out of no where comes the Sumerian people in 3,500 BCE, only a 6,500 year gap between Hunter gathers to a civilization that had a written language, artist, builders, and a written law. What helped with what I like to call "The Human Big Bang"? The only explanation for me is that a hand full of hunter gathers gained the trait we all have to day, laziness. I believe that a group of hunter gathers that may have already been working on the idea of planting and farming came together and created the first know "civilization". And of course like ever civilization certain people decided they could do better and in 6,500 years the first major civilization was born. Once laziness is introduced it was only a matter of time before new technologies were created to make life easier, then animals were put to work to do our dirty work. Shortly after that came laws and government, then trade right after. So in my opinion no God or alien could ever effect humanity in the way laziness has. It is simple human nature to be lazy, so whatever happened in that 6,500 year gap where mankind decided to stop moving around everywhere and to settle in one place changed the world forever.
Just like with everything else that we know of ancient civilizations, we depend on artifacts and evidence to determine its origin. We also depend on archaeologists and scientists to determine its age of when it predates to. The artifacts that have been found from the Sumerian civilization are the oldest that we have yet to find. So, yes there could have been civilizations that predated the Sumerians, but we really will never know until someone discovers some type of evidence to prove different. So I am not quite sure if we can blame laziness as a factor. The civilizations that may have existed prior to the Sumerians may have had artifacts that may not have withstood time. The Sumerians just discovered ways to document themselves in a way that maybe other civilizations had not discovered yet. I find it hard to believe that no other civilizations existed prior to the Sumerians, but that is why archeologists still exist to this day; Trying to discover new artifacts and evidence that will teach us more about the origins of human civilization.
ReplyDeleteI found this blog very difficult to follow. If I recall correctly, the Neanderthals existed around 300,000 BCE. The Homo Sapiens existed in and around 200,000 BCE eventually outliving the Neanderthals. I find it hard to believe that a “handful” of hunter gatherers became lazy. It’s easy to come to that conclusion with modern society because we have an advanced technology and government funded operations and organizations that enable people to be lazy. Back then, however, lazy meant death. If the hunter didn’t hunt, his family wouldn’t eat and death would certainly follow. It is possible that the hunters and gatherers created the first civilization, however, research has shown that the Sumerians were the first “known” civilization. To this day, there is huge debate on how the Sumerians were so far advanced for their time. Nonetheless, their advancements are great motivation for those who have the modern day lazy itch.
ReplyDeleteAngela Brooks - Group 2