Chapter 2: Documents

In chapter two documents, works from Mesopotamia and Egypt are most used because their written records were found to be most accessible. Although these records may be somewhat biased, for not everyone could write and most authors were upper class, these reflections are still valid and cherished.  Unlike the Paleolithic Era, these written records supply us with actual proof and insight on the various laws, events, and lifestyles that inhibited the first civilizations on Earth. 

The first document provided is Epic of Gilgamesh, a poem in which dealing with the nature of kinship, morals, standers, eternal life, and the process of being civilized. I find it interesting that the Mesopotamians choose to depict such traditions and standards through poetry.  These stories possess some much of what life was really like during these first civilizations, and they really allow us as readers to gain some insight or knowledge of the peoples lifestyles of that time. 

The Law Code of Hammurabi provides very specific laws for its citizens. “If any one bring an accusation against man, and the accused go to the river and leap into it, if he sink in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house” (Strayer 96). All laws, like the one mentioned above, are very clear and define.  I think it’s fascinating how these people often lost their house and possessions as  a punishment. My favorite law mentioned in the documents states: “If one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition...”  (Strayer 96). I found the usage of the word “lazy” quite amusing and immediately thought that many Americans today would be violating the law of laziness. 

The next text provided in the documents is called A Pyramid Text, which comes from the  Egyptians.  Many of these texts were found inscribed on walls and tombs. This specific text was found on the tomb of the Egyptian king Teti, describes the after life of a pharaoh.  The Book of the Dead is also an Egyptian text that was complied by gathering from various magical spells.  This book is designed to obtain eternal life with the gods.  I am vary curious as to how these people developed their ideology on the after life, specifically the idea of magic. The Egyptians were obviously extremely intellectual and organized people, so I would delight in knowing how their ideology cam about. 

The last text provided in the document is Be a Scribe, which was a school study for students to train and improve one’s writing. This text is emphasizes the importance of writing, believed to provide some sort if immorality to the scribe. Although the various beliefs of the Egyptian after life have been discarded in today’s society, the innovation of writing is still present today.  Allowing me to believe that the Mesopotamians and Egyptians were intellectual peoples, with an extremely organized way of living life. It is amazing to think that these two  civilizations in the ancient era, paved the way for the emerging civilizations for generations and generations to come. 

Chapter 2: The First Civilizations

  The text describes civilization as a global phenomenon, showing up independently throughout seven major locations around the world.  What amazes me the most is that agricultural is purely responsible for the development of these civilizations.  The effects of agriculture on the these people literally forced them to get creative.  The surplus of food allowed for larger populations.  Immediately the need for housing, storage, and  labor increased.  And who would make all these decisions? Who was in charge of the storage for food? Simple questions like this brought about a form of government or political system. So now they have established housing, storage, surplus of food, and even some form of government.... And the first civilization was born!

Later came the emergences of people who possessed special skills, among them  came the most crucial skill of all...writing!  The invention of writing changed everything for not only the people of that time, but also for hundreds of thousands of generations to come.  Writing was thought as a gift from the Gods, and literacy defined elite status.  In Mesopotamia and other early civilizations, writing served as an accounting function, allowing them to know who had paid their taxes, laws, religious scriptures, and complex calendars.  As a child I recall how difficult is was to learn how to read and write. So I fully commend these people for not only learning these intellectual properties, but creating them as well.  It is mind-bottling to me that people of this era constructed a form of writing, bravo!

If you payed close attention to my last paragraph you would have noticed I used the word “elite” to describe a status. Unlike the Paleolithic Era, equality did not rein. When the first civilizations were born, oppression and massive inequalities were born as well. People were organized by skills, wealth, status.  The need for government supplied a hierarchy, and the corruption of egalitarianism began.  The wealthy did not share, like one may have in the Paleolithic time.  The establishment of  “mine” and “yours” was designed and engrained throughout these first civilizations. 

As egalitarianism diminished, so did the rights of women. In Mesopotamia, various laws were written to enforce patriarchal family life.  Claiming to offer women protection yet mandating on their submission to the unquestioned power of men.  The text describes that if a women is caught sleeping with another man, she may be drowned at her husband's discretion.  However, if a man was permitted to lavish in sexual relations with his female servants.  As for divorce it was pretty much in the hands of the husband. These new found laws or “norms” in these early civilizations are literally the complete opposite of the Paleolithic gender relations. Being a women living today, in the twenty first century, it is extremely hard to read about the gender relations in the Ancient Era.  To read about the strong, thriving women of the Paleolithic Era, and then  start a new chapter to read about “women under the protection and sexual control of one man.”  It is disappointing to say the least, but what should one expect.  As wealth, status, and power made an overall change, I suppose so did gender relations.  It is just a shame that thriving civilizations could not maintain a thriving sense of equality in wealth, status, power, and gender. 

Chapter 1: Documents Provide Evidence

         The documents, at the end of chapter one, allow us to further investigate the Paleolithic Era from a first hand or primary source. It would be absolutely amazing if we were able to interview a source from the actual Paleolithic Era; however, time machines have yet to be invented and we are left with the next best thing.  A real live fifty-year-old women, named Nisa, is believed to be the next best thing. Nisa describes her life living “in the bush,” and I am shocked to hear that people in the twentieth century still live as if they were Paleolithic peoples.  I believe many of Nisa’s descriptions supply the evidence to confirm that the Paleolithic societies were more egalitarian than later societies in wealth, status, power, and gender.

In my opinion, wealth, status, power, and gender are somewhat intertwined.  Usually wealth provides those of high status and mighty power throughout the community.  And it is not unheard of that a male, with an elite status, may be depicted as the face of the community. With that said, I feel as if none of these aspects are visible within the Paleolithic societies. I will do my best  to separate these various aspects (wealth, status, power, and gender) in proving that egalitarianism exists within these communities.

Although men and women have distinct roles within the Paleolithic societies, they are presented as equals.  Women had prominent roles within the community which were absolutely vital for existence. Nisa describe her life growing up, her marriages, her religion, and her lovers.  In reading about these various life characteristics, I never once got the impression that women were below man or vice versa.  In fact Nisa mentions that women and men have equal opportunities to heal. “Both men and women learn to cure with it, but not everyone wants to” (Strayer 49).  Leading us to believe that specified roles throughout the bush were not gender based, but rather based on one’s interest in the matter. 

The only time “power” is mentioned throughout the documents, is when Nisa refers to  N/um which is the power to heal.  I suppose those who gain the power to heal and cure could be looked at as having a different status. This status is not based on wealth or gender, simply a respected status for those who have taken the time to learn the practices and endure the pain to cure.

I feel as though wealth did not exists as money within the community, but as food or gifts or lovers.  Nisa fails to mention anything about rich or poor people within the bush.  Although she does convey: “I am a person who owns nothing. That’s what people say I am; a poor person... No donkey, either.  I still carry things myself, in my kaross when I travel...” (Strayer 49). Nisa realizes that others outside the bush may think little of the “wealth” her people possess, but Nisa doesn’t know anything else. Simple things, like meat, made the people within the bush the happiest. What I found the most interesting is the people’s ability to share. Most, not all, but most people in the bush shared what little wealth they did have with each other;  making it evident that egalitarian presence existed quite strongly throughout the community.  People were not forced to share, but simply wanted to share.  Leading me to believe that the essence of wealth was unheard of, and the power and status wealth is thought to produce had yet to corrupt these societies within the Paleolithic Era.

Chapter 1: Breakthroughs to Agriculture Impact the World

Chapter 1: Breakthroughs to Agriculture Impact the World

The second half of chapter one is entirely centered around the breakthrough to agriculture.  As I flipped through all twenty pages in the second part of chapter one, I thought to myself: “Why? Why are a whole twenty pages dedicated to agriculture?... Twenty pages! For agriculture?”  It simply made no sense to me!  

After completely reading the chapter, I then realized why so much of this chapter was centered around agriculture.  Something as simple as agriculture represents a major start to a new era.  Agricultures symbolizes the departure of the Paleolithic Era and the start to the Neolithic or New Stone Age Revelation.  This era marks the beginning of massive changes, that do not just effect a group of people or a culture, but the world as a whole.  Agriculture emerged simultaneously throughout the world, sometime after the ice age.  It is believed that after the ice age,  global warming occurred, creating environment more suitable for farming and raising animals.  Most importantly this environment encouraged people to settle down. 

I believe the act of “settling down”  really forced people to get their creative juices flowing, sparking the beginning of the new era. As people settled down, populations grew larger which increased the demand of food for the population as a whole.  This practically forced people to get innovative, for food is dire to human survival.  I applaud the people of the start to this new era because they found a solution to there problem; the answer was agriculture.  Humans began to grow their own crops and raise their own animals, giving them a supply of food at their disposal.  

The breakthrough to agriculture supplied much more than just food. I found it mind bottling that as the door to agriculture opened, so did numerous other doors to innovative tools and concepts.  Networking throughout the world sparked, as people began to share their farming techniques with their neighbors.  The exchange of technology also allowed the exchange of languages and cultures, promoting the evolution of new families and societies.  By this time the future of the Hunter and Gathers became dim, as agriculture became the latest and greatest. It is hard for me to fathom that “digging sticks” were the latest technology, but for these people it worked!

The idea of settling down created communities of thousands, and the development of other technologies were born.  Housing, storage, pottery wheels, metallurgy, and large central spaces for politics and religion were innovations that greatly influenced life for these people; ultimately making life a bit easier.  

What I find the most interesting throughout the majority of this era is the ability to maintain equality.  Men and women were still viewed as equal, for women played many vital roles throughout the community.  A women’s work was so essential, making clothes, milking, weaving, cleaning, cooking, and the most vital of them all, childbirth.  

Obviously these agricultural societies were doing something right, for they flourished into the Modern Era. It amazes me that the advancement to agriculture ultimately lead to the explosion of hundreds of other innovative technologies, making life sustainable throughout the ages.