A very interesting piece. Reminds me in some ways of Spengler, in a good way.
Being reminded of the natural forces that have driven human beings for the past 15 thousand years helps put our present political-ideological window in perspective.
Sadly, the dark side of human nature (war, slavery, primal fears & the desire to dominate & control) is still too prevalent.
Are you using "Indo-European" for Yamnaya in some of this? Don't Indo-Europeans comprise a much larger group than the Indo-European speaking Yamnaya who swept out of the Pontic Steppe and across Europe ~5000 ya?
One thing that I have recently been thinking about is that often collapses are caused by what we rely on to survive failing. This seems to also be the case for our civilization.
So my question is, after seeing human civilization rise and fall several times now, what can we do to make sure another fall does not happen? What can we rely on to keep our civilization going?
Paragraph 2 'wheeled transportation yet to exist'. See cart tracks in Malta etc, with what really looks like axle end scrapes in deep ruts. In addition to age of solid stone some go into the sea indicates pre-younger/dryas. The great eraser really cleaned the slate.
Apr 13, 2023·edited Apr 13, 2023Liked by Peter Nimitz
Would you recommend any books that offer similar projections for the civilizational future of the North American continent, now that agriculture is here to stay?
Our continent seems like the reverse-Eurasia in many respects. A major mountain range divides it, while the forest line broadly runs north-south as opposed to the Russian east-west forest line that’s led to the steppe being so influential as an Eurasian highway. North America has much less coastline exposed to the world ocean (more like Africa) and is therefore highly continental, with little Mediterranean and Atlantic climate outside the Pacific coastline. Even the southern states can get colder than much of southern Europe in the winter. Truly a unique biogeography and I wonder what societies it might tend to develop in a hypothetical “post-Eighth Age”.
Peter, I've written a much longer version of this historical arc, and in some rather excruciating detail, and I have to say that you've done a far better job, in shorter form, of communicating that history accessibly and 'free of erro bias and agenda". Nice work. (Saved to my Papers collection, added to the bibliography of my history draft.)
A very interesting piece. Reminds me in some ways of Spengler, in a good way.
Being reminded of the natural forces that have driven human beings for the past 15 thousand years helps put our present political-ideological window in perspective.
Sadly, the dark side of human nature (war, slavery, primal fears & the desire to dominate & control) is still too prevalent.
Expand this into a book, please.
This was really great, thank you. Will bookmark and re-read it several times as a refresher.
Do you not think the rapid uptick in mass migrations into Europe mark the end of the 7th Age and beginning of a new 8th Age?
Now do China. :)
Great synthesis. Id recommend “The Scythian Empire: Central Eurasia and the birth of the Classical age” - would be right up your alley.
Are you using "Indo-European" for Yamnaya in some of this? Don't Indo-Europeans comprise a much larger group than the Indo-European speaking Yamnaya who swept out of the Pontic Steppe and across Europe ~5000 ya?
I don't offer those cart tracks as evidence of people existing when that stone was natural mud. The tricky bit is lack of draft animal foot prints.
Great article!
One thing that I have recently been thinking about is that often collapses are caused by what we rely on to survive failing. This seems to also be the case for our civilization.
So my question is, after seeing human civilization rise and fall several times now, what can we do to make sure another fall does not happen? What can we rely on to keep our civilization going?
Quite fascinating.
So, All societal/civilizational collapses are Global-Coldening, *NOT* Global-Warming.
Six times. For now, for now - in recent times.
Global warming meant prosperity & expansion.
Now we can reflect on just some 12.000 years.
But, What if the story of collapses & rebirth goes back a lot further & deeper ?
(advanced civilisations existed and disappeared without trace long before - pure speculation)
Can you direct me to a reference to the burnings in Karnataka you mentioned in the article?
Paragraph 2 'wheeled transportation yet to exist'. See cart tracks in Malta etc, with what really looks like axle end scrapes in deep ruts. In addition to age of solid stone some go into the sea indicates pre-younger/dryas. The great eraser really cleaned the slate.
Would you recommend any books that offer similar projections for the civilizational future of the North American continent, now that agriculture is here to stay?
Our continent seems like the reverse-Eurasia in many respects. A major mountain range divides it, while the forest line broadly runs north-south as opposed to the Russian east-west forest line that’s led to the steppe being so influential as an Eurasian highway. North America has much less coastline exposed to the world ocean (more like Africa) and is therefore highly continental, with little Mediterranean and Atlantic climate outside the Pacific coastline. Even the southern states can get colder than much of southern Europe in the winter. Truly a unique biogeography and I wonder what societies it might tend to develop in a hypothetical “post-Eighth Age”.
Don't you think using the term xenophobic is presumptuous? It's stimulating but maybe inappropriate?
Peter, I've written a much longer version of this historical arc, and in some rather excruciating detail, and I have to say that you've done a far better job, in shorter form, of communicating that history accessibly and 'free of erro bias and agenda". Nice work. (Saved to my Papers collection, added to the bibliography of my history draft.)