Few of us grasp what came before us in its depth and complexity. It wasn't until I started studying archaeology a decade ago that I realized this. My interest in ancient history has grown into a passion as I learn about dramatic recent developments in the field. Technology is opening doors not only in newly-discovered sites but in better understanding of past discoveries where former guesses are being replaced by true understanding.
New tools, like LIDAR (a type of radar), reveal the existence of many large past civilizations. Now covered by physically-impenetrable jungle, such sites were once bustling cities of life and commerce. Previously nobody thought there was or could be anything there but technology has stripped away that ignorance.
Similarly more accurate machinery for dating past artifacts corrects prior misunderstanding of when, why and by whom objects were made. For example, most historians believed the first book was made a few hundred years ago. Wrong! It's now known that 2,500 years ago a book recording trade and taxation was handwritten and hand-bound.
The biggest surprise of last year was the discovery of a wooden structure -- skillfully carved, notched and built with axes and wood tools -- long before anyone believed possible. Accurate dating of the structure shows it to have been made 476,000 years ago. Really! That's so far in the past it was before "humans" (homo sapiens) existed. The builders were an earlier evolution of humanoids whom no scientist had thought capable of such work.
Archaeology, aided by technology, is now delivering stunning news and insights at a rapid pace. An excellent place to keep up with these developments is "Archaeology" magazine, written in simple language for non-professionals. It covers all important events around the world and presents them with entertaining prose and beautiful photographs. You'll find the magazine at your local library. (I subscribe to it.)
Learning what humanity did in the past opens our eyes to who we are as a species. It has enhanced my knowledge of our fundamental nature. The illumination is sometimes surprising so it stimulates our curiosity while deepening our understanding. Turn on the light and look around!
That wooden structure being made 476,000 years ago is fascinating! xxx
ReplyDeleteYup. Thanks for reading.
DeleteGreece was incredible for history. Yes this was well after 450,000 years ago but it was still surprising all of their inventions and the entire idea of western society itself came from the Greeks.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne
I'm glad you got to go there. Such trips are mind-opening.
DeleteWOW! I had no idea about these recent discoveries like the tax book and the wooden structure! Makes me feel very small!!
ReplyDeleteThat's one perspective learning about history gives us. The immense time that's come before us. And the many civilizations that emerged, existed and died.
DeleteTechnology can help us re-examine our understanding of the past. Lot of our knowledge of ancient history is more or less sophisticated guess work. Technology can give us upper hand at understanding ancient civilizations. We also need to get rid of limitations that are in our mind. A closed mind doesn't see very far, not matter what IQ point one can score in a test.
ReplyDeleteExactly right. Modern archaeologists often misinterpret the past because of their contemporary biases, such as assuming societies were patriarchies instead of matriarchies and believing weapons were only indications of war instead of social prestige. Better understanding from technology is sorely needed to overcome these biases.
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