How do we know there were no civilizations on early Earth?

Question

The dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago. Homo Habilis first started using tools around 2 million years ago. That's a very long time. Who is to say that there wasn't some ancient civilization that began, grew to power and was destroyed in that time? Or in any other time in our vast geological history?

All around the world there are spots of "anomalous archaeology", artifacts and structures that have no business being where they are, or being from the time period they are from. Isn't it just possible that these are remnants from some hitherto unknown society that has since crumbled into dust?

And what of our oral history? Fairy tales, mythology, folk tales... scholars have very plausible origins for many of these, but what if they are far far older than we could ever imagine?

We use terms like "prehistoric" to mean "pre-man" or "pre-civilization". Our window into history is the size of a postage stamp compared to the vast stretches of time of which we know very little!

Answer 1

the earliest known stone blades were made 1 million years ago by an ape called Homo Erectus. When humans inherited tool industry from their ancestors - Homo Heidelbergensis, there were 2 other hominid species alive - Homos Neanderthalis and Floresiensis (island-minaturized), who dissapeared 33 and 13 thousand years ago respectively - 3000 years before farming - less than twice Recorded History ago, way after art was invented in caves. Some say even after the first town - Arghillas that became covered in sand, as the Sahara region went from green lake-land to desert. Its only a rumour, but some say it's 15000 years old. Can towns predate the extinction of the last non-human Hominid?

Answer 2

The archaeological record does not support what you are proposing, but it is an interesting theory. There is an enormous amount of history that still remains unknown to us and new discoveries are constantly rewriting and adding to our knowledge. I would not be surprising if we some day discovered a civilization that is currently unknown to us that predates our current accepted dates for the beginnings of civilization by a few centuries or 1000 years. It is incredibly unlikely, however, that we will find a civilization that existed millions of years ago.

Just a quick FYI - when "prehistoric" is used to mean "pre-man" or "pre-civilization", it is being misused. The term prehistoric refers to a point in time before the advent of written history. There is no specific point in history where we went from being prehistoric to historic. Different civilizations developed writing at different times and so entered the "historic period" earlier than others. History is written, therefore what occured before written history is prehistoric.

Answer 3

If you count EQ as well (encephalization quote) which determines the overall Intelligence quote, you will find out that only Homo Sapiens had the intelligence needed to understand that nature threats would be less if humans lived in groups. Dont forget that the reason of the dissapearence of Homo Neanthertals, is their inablity to live in larger groups.. So, if not completely impossible, it would be difficult for the species before Sapiens to create a civilization.

Have in mind that the first societies are at least 40 000 years old. If we say that they needed time to think of the rock as a material ( rocks are the oldest materials used for settlements), then lets say that the first small societies where created 60 000 years ago.. Again, only Homo Sapiens Sapiens lived then.

Answer 4

It's a really fun idea but it is just science fiction unless we can find actual physical evidence of said civilization. We need more than a bronze blade a few thousand years before we thought it had been invented in order to completly re-write our understanding of early hominids.

So all I'm saying is that as of now there is no reason to re-write history books until someone finds a million year old light bulb.

Answer 5

No, it's just that the earth isn't as old as people thought.
For example, scientists can measure the sedimentary build up of a very old river by the amount that has been deposited on the ocean floor. The river has an average rate of deposit that holds true over long periods of time. The amount measured at the oldest rivers coincides with a much younger earth (approx. 10,000 yrs or so)

Answer 6

Read Job Chapter 40 and 41 in the Old Testament Verse 40:19 . God bless you and your family

Answer 7

properly do no longer overlook all of us developed from apes. apes choose a sepcial climate/habitat like a number of different creature, so as quickly as we first developed we dedcided to stay in that climate for somewhat to secure out our species (reproduce) then we ventured out to ''locate'' and then initiate new colonies/ civilisations and then we persevered this till we've been given the place we are as we communicate. desire THIS facilitates? :-)

Answer 8

I like your theory. I think it's something the religious people would love to fight you about.

But would there be any possible way of finding evidence of an ancient civilization?

Answer 9

No evidence to support a claim.

Answer 10

We won't know until some evidence is found. Until then it's anybody's guess.