Archaeology is so darn cool

[alanajoli]

In another life, I think I might have been an archaeologist. All of the study of what's found in the rock--it's just awesome. And when they find something like this Pre-Inca city in Peru that's older than anything found in the Americas before, well that's even better than awesome. In 4000 BC, who were these folks? Why didn't they stick around? Who were the three gods they worshipped?

I'd love to read more about this, in part becasue the mural show looks very familiar to me. Not the depiction, but the style. I may be comparing it to the Minoan murals in Crete, but I don't really know enough about the physical records of art work to make a valid comparison. Even with the Minoans, who we have a pretty great record of, we don't know as much about their culture as it seems like we should. What was that bull jumping ritual all about? We're just not sure!

Maybe part of the appeal to studying ancient civilizations, whether through myth or stone (or myth in stone) is that they hold secrets. They knew things we don't, whether in stories or in complex astronomy done with simple tools. (We may know more astronomy now, but as I recall, some of the pre-Columbian folks in southern Mexico knew different astronomy that we haven't got entirely figured out yet.) The more that we can find out--the more we can get inside the heads of the people who came before us--the more we can learn about ourselves. Just some myth thoughts to start the day.

Comments

[tltrent.livejournal.com]

Just fascinating! Thinking of how many civilizations lie buried beneath our feet...This is why I'm really loving "Rome" because the similarities between them and us are just sometimes a bit too real. And yet, our ancestors are still so foreign. The mystery definitely pulls me in.

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

How is the HBO-ness on Rome? (I've learned that HBO often crosses lines outside of my enjoyable-television comfort zone, and so I end up avoiding a lot of their series.) It sounded really interesting, and beautifully done, so if it's not too overly harsh, I really should pick it up.