Ancient Cultures: Egyptian, Sumerian & Indian

[Max Faust]

The oldest cultures acknowledged are Egyptian, Sumerian and Indian.

What strikes me as perhaps a bit of a pertinent question to ask, though, is this: If there existed any form of high-culture during the latest Ice Age, wouldn't they be likely to settle along coastal lines of the time?

Whereas certain structures in Turkey and Palestine are considered to be 10-12,000 years old, there ought to be even older remnants of human settlements underneath some 100+ meters of sea water in such places as people would be likely to want to inhabit at the time.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Astronuc]

In 1997, William Ryan and Walter Pitman published evidence that a massive flooding of the Black Sea occurred about 5600 BC through the Bosporus, following this scenario. Before that date, glacial meltwater had turned the Black and Caspian Seas into vast freshwater lakes which were draining into the Aegean Sea. As glaciers retreated, some of the rivers emptying into the Black Sea declined in volume and changed course to drain into the North Sea. The levels of the lakes dropped through evaporation, while changes in worldwide hydrology caused sea level to rise. The rising Mediterranean finally spilled over a rocky sill at the Bosporus. The event flooded 155,000 km2 (60,000 sq mi) of land and significantly expanded the Black Sea shoreline to the north and west.

Allegedly, this is one possible source for the story of Noah's flood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea_deluge_theory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea_deluge_theory#Evidence_from_archaeology

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/02/19/black-sea-flood.html

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ctl/clihis10k.html

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1207/features/noah.htm


Caspian Sea flooding - http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2003AM/finalprogram/abstract_63243.htm

 

[LeroyLaRey]

yes that would be a place to find evidence. I have some doubts about the term "high culture" though, guessing that would mean a ruling class that controls trade, rather than a technological culture, but that's just my opinion. Evidence for a class system would be hard to find. Maybe in widely dispersed flint points of the same type, fine textiles, religious figurines, or realistic art (?). It's hard to imagine a high culture scenario other than the one we have. A lot of technological development is inherent w/ population density & food availability, which was unavailable during the ice age, but most tribal groups have a leader, and a large, widely dispersed group would probably have communication between local leaders, making councils to decide topics relevant to the whole. I'd call that a high culture, but evidence could be tenuous.

 

[mgb_phys]

If there existed any form of high-culture during the latest Ice Age, wouldn't they be likely to settle along coastal lines of the time?

Not sure they were high culture but there were lots of people living in what is now the southern North sea between England/Denmark/Holland

For people living in this fertile plain having to run for the hills (ie current land) when the sea came in must have been a real annoyance.

 

[LudusRex]

I find the topic of ancient cultures fascinating and the three mentioned, Egyptian, Sumerian, and Indian, are indeed some of the oldest known civilizations in human history. However, the question raised about the possibility of even older civilizations during the Ice Age is an interesting one.

The idea of ancient civilizations settling along coastal lines during the Ice Age is certainly a possibility. We know that sea levels were much lower during this time, exposing land that is now underwater. It is possible that there were civilizations living in these areas, but unfortunately, it is difficult to prove without physical evidence.

The structures in Turkey and Palestine that are considered to be 10-12,000 years old are impressive and indicate a level of societal organization and technological advancement. However, it is likely that there were even older settlements that may have been flooded by rising sea levels.

The challenge with studying ancient civilizations is that much of the evidence has been lost to time, either through natural disasters, human destruction, or simply decay. As scientists, we must rely on the physical evidence that we do have and continue to search for new discoveries that may shed light on the existence of even older civilizations.

In terms of the specific question about settlements underneath 100+ meters of sea water, it is certainly possible that there are remnants of ancient civilizations that are now underwater. However, it would be incredibly difficult to explore and excavate at such depths, making it a challenging task for scientists.

Overall, the topic of ancient cultures and their existence during the Ice Age is a fascinating one and continues to be an area of research and discovery for scientists. While we may never have all the answers, it is important to continue exploring and studying the evidence that we do have in order to gain a better understanding of our past.