Civili-musings 2

Let’s stop and ask what a civilization is first. Yeah, I know that sounds like the dumbest question. But think about it… do we easily know that answer?

I’d venture to say we all agree that a civilization is a civilization when they have surviving records, or written descriptions… that we can translate.

But what about those written records that we can’t translate? Or where we only have fragments that can be translated? Or what if we’re not even sure that what we’re seeing is written language or not?

The answer’s not so simple then, is it? And you may think that’s the end of it… but no. What about peoples that we 100% know about… that are verified by other historical facts… that we only have their objects to go on?

The “Sea Peoples” spoken of by both the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians, for one. Yeah, look it up. We know they existed, and even threatened the overwhelming Egyptian Empire for a time or two. There’s a full engraving that details their battle with a Pharaoh, for Pete’s sake! And the hieroglyphics paint them as one of the few formidable foes of the Empire. Yet… no written record of their own. Almost nothing to go on, in fact!

The Olmec as well. We know they existed. Not only existed, but apparently thrived… as master rubber producers. We know that the Mayan and Aztec civilizations would not be what they were without the Olmec first. And yet… what do we know about them? Maybe a little bit more in comparison to the Sea Peoples, but not by much.

Just stone heads. Yeah, there are literal giant stone heads found around their ruins. It would seem like more are being uncovered every day.

So representatives did survive, just not in written form. They’re painstakingly carved faces staring back at us through the mirror of time.

Ironic that these faces have mouths to speak, but can’t tell us one word of their story.

So what makes a civilization is a big question. One too big to answer right now.