1. How long has human civilization existed? (I assume starting with agriculture)
2. How long has organized religion been around? (I assume starting with Hinduism)
If any one could find some good sourced dates on these I would be thankful. I can't seem to find any good solid information.
1. Ancient History - from Wikipedia History of China
By 7000 BC, the Chinese were farming millet, giving rise to the Jiahu culture.
At Damaidi in Ningxia, 3,172 cliff carvings dating to 6000-5000 BC have been discovered "featuring 8,453 individual characters such as the sun, moon, stars, gods and scenes of hunting or grazing." These pictographs are reputed to be similar to the earliest characters confirmed to be written Chinese.
BUT (Wikipedia Ancient History - Prehistory) if you take controlled use of fire as the origin of technology then that goes back to around 800,000 years ago.
The oldest civilisations that I know of is Mesopotamia (links here and here), where the practice of farming dates back to an incredible 8000 B.C. It predates Babylon, ancient Egypt and is considered by most scholars to be the 'cradle of civilisation'.
As for religion ... well, that's harder to say. At what point in human history did we become intelligent enough to understand gods and an afterlife? Burial and cave paintings might provide and answer but it's not concrete evidence.
__________________ I judge you unfortunate because you have never been unfortunate; you have passed through life without an antagonist; no one will know what you can do, not even yourself. Lucius Annaeus Seneca
If we seriously think about it, it probably makes more sense to assume that this is a naturally evil world that has somehow been mysteriously 'contaminated' by goodness, rather than the other way around.
M. Scott Peck
Thanks to everyone for the good reputation points.
1. Ancient History - from Wikipedia History of China
By 7000 BC, the Chinese were farming millet, giving rise to the Jiahu culture.
At Damaidi in Ningxia, 3,172 cliff carvings dating to 6000-5000 BC have been discovered "featuring 8,453 individual characters such as the sun, moon, stars, gods and scenes of hunting or grazing." These pictographs are reputed to be similar to the earliest characters confirmed to be written Chinese.
BUT (Wikipedia Ancient History - Prehistory) if you take controlled use of fire as the origin of technology then that goes back to around 800,000 years ago.
Thanks. But wouldn't that but other species of great ape as having civilization? They use technology (tools) as well.
Thanks. But wouldn't that but other species of great ape as having civilization? They use technology (tools) as well.
Since this is your question, perhaps you should say what you mean by "civilization".
__________________ - Daisy
If such people were amenable to facts, they would have gotten the point long ago...Whatever it is that is blocking the understanding of the "denialist", it is not access to facts or information. The blockage is most likely emotional, possibly based on fear, and one does not most effectively deal with emotional barriers by using facts as instruments of assault and battery. - Dan Murphy
You know your party is in trouble when people ask did the rape guy win, and you have to ask which one?
How long has Hinduism been around in comparison to Judaism?
Hinduism is roughly 7,000 years old while Judaism is roughly 3,000 years old.
__________________ I judge you unfortunate because you have never been unfortunate; you have passed through life without an antagonist; no one will know what you can do, not even yourself. Lucius Annaeus Seneca
If we seriously think about it, it probably makes more sense to assume that this is a naturally evil world that has somehow been mysteriously 'contaminated' by goodness, rather than the other way around.
M. Scott Peck
Thanks to everyone for the good reputation points.
The oldest civilisations that I know of is Mesopotamia (links here and here), where the practice of farming dates back to an incredible 8000 B.C. It predates Babylon, ancient Egypt and is considered by most scholars to be the 'cradle of civilisation'.
As for religion ... well, that's harder to say. At what point in human history did we become intelligent enough to understand gods and an afterlife? Burial and cave paintings might provide and answer but it's not concrete evidence.
Wikipedia - Burial
The earliest undisputed human burial dates back 130,000 years.
Originally Posted by Notedstrangeperson
At what point in human history did we become intelligent enough to understand gods and an afterlife?
Not sure that's ever going to happen. It is easy to elaborate on the concept of a god and a Valhalla but not easy to make one that is logically consistent. One question might be whether those in an afterlife can learn. If so then if the afterlife lasts an infinite time then the amount of information will become infinite. If not then there is no perception of passage of time and there might as well not be an afterlife.
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