Advancement in ancient civilizations : life, culture, science and thought / Harald Haarmann.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Haarmann, Harald, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Civilization, Ancient.

Physical Description:

xii, 232 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, [2020]

Summary:

"Traditional scholarship on how ancient civilizations emerged is outmoded and new insights call for revision. According to the well-established paradigm, Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of civilization. Following the cliché of ex oriente lux ("light from the East") all major achievements of humankind spread from the Middle East. Modern archaeology, cultural science and historical linguistics indicate civilizations did not originate from a single prototype. Several models produced divergent patterns of advanced culture, developing both hierarchical and egalitarian societies. This study outlines a panorama of ancient civilizations, including the still little-known Danube civilization, now identified as the oldest advanced culture in Europe. In a comparative view, a new paradigm of research and a new cultural chronology of civilizations in the Old and New Worlds emerges, with climate change shown to be a continual influence on human lifeways"-- Provided by publisher.

"Traditional scholarship on how ancient civilizations emerged is outmoded and new insights call for revision. According to the well-established paradigm, Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of civilization. Following the clich�e of ex oriente lux ("light from the East") all major achievements of humankind spread from the Middle East. Modern archaeology, cultural science and historical linguistics indicate civilizations did not originate from a single prototype. Several models produced divergent patterns of advanced culture, developing both hierarchical and egalitarian societies. This study outlines a panorama of ancient civilizations, including the still little-known Danube civilization, now identified as the oldest advanced culture in Europe. In a comparative view, a new paradigm of research and a new cultural chronology of civilizations in the Old and New Worlds emerges, with climate change shown to be a continual influence on human lifeways"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: The organic whole of human existence and the quality of life

The life cycle of cultures

Timeline

Early achievements

The wheel, the wagon and the chariot

The economic foundations

Settlement planning

Architecture

Social networking

Religion and worldview

Human activity between life and afterlife

Specialized systems for communication

Intellectual domains

Art and aesthetics.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781476679891

1476679894

OCLC:

1152054529

Publisher Number:

99985469818