> Images of demons first began to appear in the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030–1640 B.C.).
Thoughts needed (please omit jokes unless actually funny). I'm a brit. The date above is not stonehenge-era but isn't too far off. I've long been puzzled by the fact that sophisticated cultures were around then with complex social structures, that had writing and some pretty dazzling statuary and buildings.
Over here in albion at the time? Sweet FA. No comparable culture that I'm aware of. Around 0 BC or a bit earlier you get these https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broch but still, no writing, few (if any) significant decorative artefacts from that period. It is so odd. Any explanations? I mean other than "that's how it was". Perhaps there's just stuff I don't know of.
That was my understanding too, but britain back then (let's say 1 AD, a bit pre-roman invasion) wasn't remotely uninhabited and those there were mainly farmers AIUI.
"The hill was constructed in several stages between c.2400–2300 BC[6] and displays immense technical skill and prolonged control over labour and resources"
That's not the product of a bunch of scattered farmers so I just do not get it.
It's worth remembering that Northern Europe has a comparatively harsher climate compared to Southern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Even until the late bronze age to early iron age, the poorer soil quality and colder climate meant less reliance on agricultural output and cereal crops was needed. Rather than being able to grow more favourable crops like wheat and millet (which was grown occasionally pre-Viking Age and during the Medieval Warm Period, still 2500-2000 years after the period we're talking about), the cereal crops of choice would have been ones that are more frost resistant and less reliant on soil quality like spelt, barley, rye (which could be grown in very poor soil like bogs), oats, etc. Rice is an important crop with similar yield to wheat with less processing needed, but it simply doesn't grow much further north than Italy or Spain.
Hardy vegetables like cabbage, peas, and root vegetables like turnip, grass land for grazing and the subsequent diary products, wild game, seafood, etc, were all just as important given the shorter growing seasons and harsher winters.
These factors and more means that for much of its history, Europe and especially Northern Europe had less food output which led to lower population density with cities being less capable of producing a similar amount of cultural output that you see in the Med/MENA countries. Even for the Romans, again 2000-1500 years after the period we're talking about, countries like Morocco and Egypt were important for the Republic and Empire and were known as breadbaskets.
Whenever I think of Egyptian Demons I think of "Pyramids" by Frank Ocean and all the cryptic symobology laid into the verses. Interesting stuff, nonetheless!
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[ 2.1 ms ] story [ 35.6 ms ] thread'demon' is a really unfortunate choice of description because of the Christian association.
Of course that’s all good but I just wanna make sure someone else concurs and I’m not being haunted by Egyptian demons?
Thoughts needed (please omit jokes unless actually funny). I'm a brit. The date above is not stonehenge-era but isn't too far off. I've long been puzzled by the fact that sophisticated cultures were around then with complex social structures, that had writing and some pretty dazzling statuary and buildings.
Let's take that back further, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6bekli_Tepe ~10K years ago (no writing I'm aware of but look at the artefacts)
Over here in albion at the time? Sweet FA. No comparable culture that I'm aware of. Around 0 BC or a bit earlier you get these https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broch but still, no writing, few (if any) significant decorative artefacts from that period. It is so odd. Any explanations? I mean other than "that's how it was". Perhaps there's just stuff I don't know of.
So, I expect writing to follow agriculture and some urbanization when a large population trades with each other.
Also that doesn't explain the lack of 'ornaments'. Consider the olmecs (1500 BCE to about 400 BCE) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmecs) who may just about have had a writing system (or not) and look at what they made: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmecs#Artifacts
In britain at the time, apparently bugger all. Almost anyway, there is this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silbury_Hill and:
"The hill was constructed in several stages between c.2400–2300 BC[6] and displays immense technical skill and prolonged control over labour and resources"
That's not the product of a bunch of scattered farmers so I just do not get it.
Even until the late bronze age to early iron age, the poorer soil quality and colder climate meant less reliance on agricultural output and cereal crops was needed. Rather than being able to grow more favourable crops like wheat and millet (which was grown occasionally pre-Viking Age and during the Medieval Warm Period, still 2500-2000 years after the period we're talking about), the cereal crops of choice would have been ones that are more frost resistant and less reliant on soil quality like spelt, barley, rye (which could be grown in very poor soil like bogs), oats, etc. Rice is an important crop with similar yield to wheat with less processing needed, but it simply doesn't grow much further north than Italy or Spain.
Hardy vegetables like cabbage, peas, and root vegetables like turnip, grass land for grazing and the subsequent diary products, wild game, seafood, etc, were all just as important given the shorter growing seasons and harsher winters.
These factors and more means that for much of its history, Europe and especially Northern Europe had less food output which led to lower population density with cities being less capable of producing a similar amount of cultural output that you see in the Med/MENA countries. Even for the Romans, again 2000-1500 years after the period we're talking about, countries like Morocco and Egypt were important for the Republic and Empire and were known as breadbaskets.