Ancient Anatolia: Cradle of Civilization?
As humans, we’ve progressed from living in primitive dwellings to villages, then full-scale civilizations. This shift has been gradual but certainly significant.
How exactly did the concept of civilization come about? Unlike simple villages, civilizations are much more structurally and socially advanced. Let’s dive deeper into what makes up a civilization and where the first civilization originated.
What is a civilization?
A civilization is the most advanced stage of human development and societal organization. While experts debate the primary characteristics of a civilization, the main attributes include:
- Cities or “urban settlements”
- Social classes
- Agriculture and animal husbandry
- Government
- Trade and production
- Public buildings
- Metallurgy
- Written language
- Technology/scientific development
- Monumental architecture
It’s important to keep in mind not all of these attributes are necessary for a society to be characterized as a civilization. For example, the Incas did not have a written language, yet they were a highly advanced civilization. Therefore, it may be better to think of these attributes as guidelines for measuring the advancement of a civilization.
Where did civilizations come from?
The term “cradle of civilization” is synonymous for “birthplace of civilization.” In other words, it’s a place where civilization began.
Some experts believe there was no one single “cradle,” but rather several civilizations developed independently. Several origins of civilization include Caral, Peru; Egypt; and China.
However, there is one particular region that’s widely accepted as the original — and perhaps the sole — cradle of civilization: Anatolia, which is located in modern day Turkey.
Anatolia: Cradle of Civilization?
Although it is difficult to pinpoint a singular cradle of civilization, there is some evidence to suggest that Anatolia may have been the birthplace of civilization as we know it today.
First and foremost, scientific findings suggest Anatolia played a huge role in agricultural development and may have acted as a “hub” for spreading farming techniques westward into Europe.
Secondly, scientists have traced the origins of ancient grains — specifically, einkorn wheat — to Anatolia. This is particularly significant because of the “technical complexity and the culinary manipulation” that are necessary to turn these grains into staples. Therefore, the ability to produce cereals signifies a highly advanced society.
Anatolia’s proximity to Europe likely helped facilitate the spread of agriculture to westerners, but how did the people of Anatolia become so advanced in the first place?
The Advancements of Anatolia
Anatolia was a hub for advanced civilizations including the Hittites, the Assyrians, and the Greeks, but before the rise of these civilizations, there was Gobekli Tepe.
Gobekli Tepe is an ancient site that has been called “The World’s First Temple.” It features technology and architecture that were highly advanced for the times, considering it was built some 11,000 years ago.
Research suggests outsiders may have influenced and inspired the construction of Gobekli Tepe through what is known as a “transfer of technology.” Ancient civilization researcher Graham Hancock has explored this idea in-depth, arguing a third party taught advanced skills to the native humans of the area.
Some believe the Annunaki bestowed their knowledge upon the Anatolia region. This group of deities is frequently referenced in ancient texts, in which they are praised for their sophisticated scientific and mathematical abilities.
Did the concepts of farming and agriculture also come from the Annunaki? If this is indeed the case, it means we can credit these mystical beings for skills and techniques we still rely on today. Moreover, it means that the Annunaki played an enormous role in the foundation of civilization itself.
There is certainly plenty of information to absorb with regard to how civilizations came to be. Based on what we know about Anatolia and the Annunaki, we can assume both may have played a big role in the foundation and evolution of civilization. As with any complex topic, we encourage you to continue to explore this subject on your own.
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Was There A Cover Up of the Dead Sea Scrolls Interpretation?
Seven decades ago, a young Bedouin herder made a revelatory discovery on Israel’s West Bank, with profound implications for two of the world’s most prominent religions. After throwing a rock into a cave in an attempt to find an errant goat, he heard a clink and decided to investigate. Uncovering a trove of brittle, ancient scriptures written on parchment and papyrus, it turned out he had discovered some of the most important texts related to the Hebrew Bible. These texts became known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, likely written by an ascetic sect of Jews, whose history could have some broad implications on the story of Jesus Christ.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was so important because it predated the earliest known texts of the Hebrew Bible by about a thousand years. The texts also predated the birth of Christ and Christianity, leaving their interpretation to have a profound impact on the history of the world’s largest religion.
Since the initial discovery of the scrolls, there have been over 900 more manuscripts discovered, with new fragments found every year. In the past 15 years, 70 new fragments appeared on the antiquities market. After their initial discovery, scroll fragments were even posted in the classified section of the Wall Street Journal. The publishing of the scrolls is a continuous process as well, with 25 new scrolls published just last year.
Recent discoveries of scroll fragments have contained esoteric books from the Old Testament that had never before been found, like the Book of Nehemiah, telling the story of Nehemiah, a man who lived during the time when Jerusalem was conquered by the ancient Babylonians. The texts contain many accounts written in the first person as well as commentaries, which have been referred to as apocrypha and pseudepigrapha, texts that were not included in rabbinic literature or the New Testament, such as the Book of Enoch.
