290 replies to this topic

[TheSearcher]

Harsh86_Patel, on 21 February 2013 - 06:31 AM, said:

Ok point well received and all i can say at this point is more digs to be done and more sites to be rediscovered.Though i have a very strong feeling that the antiquity of the IVC will be pushed further back and the connections between the two sites will be established further down the line.

Since Mehrgarh is a precursor of the IVC, that would already be an impossibility, in my opinion

[Abramelin]

the L, on 20 February 2013 - 06:45 PM, said:

cormac just answer me then this question, you dont see Hittites and Akkadian empire as civilization? Because of origin of their writting system.

I had a similar but short discussion (in another thread about Göbekli Tepe) about exactly the same, L:

http://www.unexplain...35#entry4484491

And read onwards.

As you will know in Europe we had the Funnel Beaker Culture, the Bell Beaker Culture, Linear Pottery culture, Tumulus Culture, and so on, but none of them were considered to be 'civilizations' even though they were wide spread.

I think a 'culture' is about noting but people creating similar buildings, graves and artifacts, a 'civilization' has to do with organization, recording information, commerce and hierarchical structure.

[Harsh86_Patel]

TheSearcher, on 21 February 2013 - 12:33 PM, said:

Since Mehrgarh is a precursor of the IVC, that would already be an impossibility, in my opinion

IVC is a continuation of Mehrgarh rather. Mehrgarh is only one of the sites under the IVC banner.

[TheSearcher]

Harsh86_Patel, on 25 February 2013 - 09:07 AM, said:

IVC is a continuation of Mehrgarh rather. Mehrgarh is only one of the sites under the IVC banner.

Sorry but that is just semantics and does by no means change the facts.

[the L]

Abramelin, on 22 February 2013 - 03:09 PM, said:

I think a 'culture' is about noting but people creating similar buildings, graves and artifacts, a 'civilization' has to do with organization, recording information, commerce and hierarchical structure.

As I remember and since Harsh86 mention them Harappans didnt have hierarchical structure yet we called them civilization.
As I understand crucial thing here is writting system. If one have it -its civilization. No writting system no civilization.
Also there are so called cultures which show MUCH of hierarchical structure and organization yet they are not consider to be civilization. Again probably because of writting system.

Edited by the L, 25 February 2013 - 08:51 PM.

[TheSearcher]

No, it's not only writing, it's a combination of several criteria.And the Indus Valley Civilisation did have a hierarchical structure, as both the Harappa site and the  Mohenjo-Daro site have differentiated living quarters, flat-roofed brick houses,  and administrative / religious centers.

[the L]

TheSearcher, on 25 February 2013 - 09:21 PM, said:

No, it's not only writing, it's a combination of several criteria.And the Indus Valley Civilisation did have a hierarchical structure, as both the Harappa site and the  Mohenjo-Daro site have differentiated living quarters, flat-roofed brick houses,  and administrative / religious centers.

I read on several places that IVC didnt have hierarchy. Can you support that claim with some link, quote...

[The_Spartan]

the L, on 25 February 2013 - 09:24 PM, said:

I read on several places that IVC didnt have hierarchy. Can you support that claim with some link, quote...

People do not go around without a structured government or hierarchy and simply build settlements or towns with proper planning.
here is a link for you to ponder

link

[Abramelin]

It appears to me that the words 'civilization' and 'culture' are nothing but what you want it to be.

It's a meaningless discussion.



.

Edited by Abramelin, 25 February 2013 - 10:04 PM.

[the L]

Abramelin, on 25 February 2013 - 09:55 PM, said:

It's a meaningless discussion.

Not to me.

[Abramelin]

the L, on 25 February 2013 - 09:59 PM, said:

Not to me.

Yeah, I got that.

But in the end it is nothing but people bickering about the meaning of some word.

[TheSearcher]

the L, on 25 February 2013 - 09:24 PM, said:

I read on several places that IVC didnt have hierarchy. Can you support that claim with some link, quote...

See Spartan's link below, it's about as good as the one I could use. However I read this in a book, "The Ancient Indus:
Urbanism, Economy, and Society" by Rita P. Wright (Cambridge University Press, 26 Oct 2009)

The_Spartan, on 25 February 2013 - 09:37 PM, said:

People do not go around without a structured government or hierarchy and simply build settlements or towns with proper planning.
here is a link for you to ponder

link

Nice link mate and very informative.

[Swede]

Abramelin, on 25 February 2013 - 10:03 PM, said:

Yeah, I got that.

But in the end it is nothing but people bickering about the meaning of some word.

Abe: Actually the distinction between the two terms is of importance.

While cultural anthropologists have engaged in numerous philosophical and theoretical debates over the definition of "culture", the following is a reasonable distillation.

Culture - Learned and transmitted behavioral and technological information conducive to a groups adaptation to, and survival in, a given environmental setting.

Thus, comparatively small (or notably extended) groups share some degree of commonly transmitted knowledge. This does not necessarily imply higher levels of social organization and structure.

Civilization, on the other hand, incorporates (as noted by Searcher) a number of additional elements. Again, definitions can have some degree of variability. The following reference may provide some insight:

http://www.wmich.edu...vilization.html

.

[Harsh86_Patel]

TheSearcher, on 25 February 2013 - 01:37 PM, said:

Sorry but that is just semantics and does by no means change the facts.

It does..your statements suggests that Mehrgarh was a separate identity from the IVC which is not the case.

[Abramelin]

the L, on 25 February 2013 - 08:51 PM, said:

As I remember and since Harsh86 mention them Harappans didnt have hierarchical structure yet we called them civilization.
As I understand crucial thing here is writting system. If one have it -its civilization. No writting system no civilization.
Also there are so called cultures which show MUCH of hierarchical structure and organization yet they are not consider to be civilization. Again probably because of writting system.

I think writing is a way to "record information"...