[extropy-chat] random caveman thought

BillK pharos at gmail.com
Sun Dec 17 19:25:57 UTC 2006


On 12/17/06, Amara Graps wrote:
> BillK:
> >The natural caves and soft rock in Cappadocia
> >caused the Hittite people to take advantage of the natural caves and
> >also start excavating additional caves around 2000 - 1000 BC.
>
> The area was settled much earlier than that, a few thousand years before,
> in the Neolithic period, before the Hittites.
>
> http://www.catalhoyuk.com/
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%87atalh%C3%B6y%C3%BCk
>
> The underground cities further north that I pointed you to before
> were not used for storage, they were built for living for many months at
> a time under the ground (without emerging on top of land).
>
> I don't know when the local  people started building and using the
> underground cities, and I doubt you know either. The Hittite culture was
> based on agriculture, but before them were cultures engaging in a
> vigorous trading activity (on a route to Mesopotamia) with horses and
> lots of movement. The people who lived in Catalhoyuk in ~8000 BC were
> agricultural perhaps, mixing (and fighting) with the travelling tribes.
>


I don't think I am disagreeing with anything you wrote (although your
post reads as though you think I am)  :)

In fact, I was quoting from the reference you provided.
<http://www.rdricketts.com/uncity.html>
Quote:
"Underground cities are still being found in Cappadocia.  The ancient
Hittites, who came to area from east of the Black Sea around 2,000
B.C., are believed to have begun the excavation here.  It is believed
that these underground cities were enlarged during early Christians
times to provide refuge from invaders and persecutors."


All I am pointing out, with references, is that large permanent human
settlements did not start until after agriculture was invented.
Whether they were living in buildings or caves, early humans required
a steady supply of food and water. Hunter-gathering alone cannot
support a permanent 10,000 -  20,000 people town.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution>
Quote:
"The Neolithic Revolution is the term for the first agricultural
revolution, describing the transition from hunting and gathering to
agriculture, as first adopted by various independent prehistoric human
societies, in various locations.
The hunter-gatherer way of life was replaced by domestication of crops
and animals, enabling people to live more sedentary lives. Permanent
settlements arose, creating new social, cultural, economic and
political institutions.
The Neolithic Revolution is believed to have become widespread in
southwest Asia around 8000 BC–7000 BC, though earlier individual sites
have been identified."


BillK




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