Claim CG040:
Prehistoric humans built megalithic monuments, created sophisticated art,
and showed evidence of other skills demonstrating that they were as
intelligent as modern humans. Yet they lived for about 190,000 years
before beginning written records 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Why the wait?
Source:
Humphreys, D. Russell. 2005. Evidence for a young world. Impact 384
(June): vi.
Response:
- Agriculture brings with it many cultural changes, including cities,
significant personal property, and trade. All the earliest known
writings are recordkeeping for property in agricultural societies.
There was no need for such records before the development of
agriculture and its consequences. Thus, the origin of
agriculture also determined the origin of writing.
- Recent human evolution (also discussed with the origin of
agriculture) may have applied to writing, too.
created 2005-9-22
