A short Summary of the History of the World

The following articles are an attempt to briefly summarise the history of the world – the story of who we are, and where we find ourselves now. I’m personally fascinated by how certain individuals and impactful events can change the course of our collective history.

Fun Fact: DNA evidence shows that only one tribe made it out of Africa in the beginning of our story, and that all of us related today, are due to one woman – our Universal Mother from Africa.

Harsh climate change around 70,000 years ago, led homo sapiens (meaning “wise man”) to exit Africa. It is thought that we even reached the landmass currently known as Australia 50,000 years ago. To survive, we had to learn the essentials of survival (food, water, shelter), with the most important one being: Cooperation.

Those who ventured into modern-day Europe, clashed with another variety of humans, who had been evolving for roughly 250,000 years, known as the Neanderthals. Tribal clashes began between those who looked, smelled and acted differently. Sadly, we wiped them out.

Further climate change forced the strongest to make a life-or-death breakthrough, which was the bone needle (roughly 17,000 years ago). This led to the sewing of clothes, which saved the butts of the most adaptable. The most resilient and violent species of the Age, left records around the world of these activities, largely in the form of cave paintings, such as handprints, to say: “we were here”.

The planet then began to warm up in the northern hemisphere (roughly 16,000 years ago). We began to feed on different species of edible grass – mostly growing near fertile rivers.

The single biggest change humans have ever made to the planet, that has changed more than anything ever, was to settle. Laziness becomes an underestimated force.

One bright and patient homo sapien decided to plant a seed in the ground. Agriculture and farming become a pivotal part of our story, but our lifespans begin to shorten, and illness and disease spread due to population explosions, as well as living in close quarters, along with livestock.

Nevertheless, towns become established. Once settled, well-fed, and sheltered, we are freed to contemplate the ‘meaning of existence’. We begin to see the first evidence of ancestor worship and ceremonial burial, leading to higher thoughts about an afterlife. Society and community become well-established, with little evidence of conflict, but natural disasters are still a major problem. History is shaped by the desire to control Nature to suit our species.

The ancient chronicles speak of a Great Flood that happened roughly 4,000 years ago. We were forced to adapt in accordance with Nature once again. Records show that China adapted well to tame the Yellow River – by creating dams and channels. This was a great feat of engineering and led to convincing rival clans to cooperate, thus bringing river-dwelling people together. It is argued that this resulted in the first Chinese Dynasty, where people agreed to be ruled by those deemed to be smarter than themselves.

Meanwhile in Egypt, a similar consensus occurred. They were living near the mighty Nile River – a fertile land that farmers loved, but also served as an efficient transport system for goods and ideas. Land barons and landowners begin to emerge as a way to control the masses. Pharaohs also get anointed, who believe in an afterlife, and get slaves to build extravagant tombs, in which the elite are surrounded by their riches.

Writing had become a massive game-changer around 3,400 BCE, in the form of early Egyptian hieroglyphs and Sumerian cuneiform. This allowed the Egyptians to not only flourish in trade and the spreading of ideas, but also start to develop a better way to leave records, establish a court of law, and impose a stronger rule over society.

Across the pond, in what is todays Greece, the Minoans were also making strides. They were somewhat late bloomers, with evidence showing that they were at their height around 3,700 years ago. They were very proud of their prestige as traders, with all the goodies that come with that – evident in their famous frescos. Many of their envious friends referred to Knossos as a Utopia.

However, in an order to appease Nature, there is also evidence of human sacrifice. They believed that there were ‘gods’ that controlled the natural forces who demanded tribute. Shame to say that Nature struck back and put an end to their civilization.

A short Summary of the History of the World – Part II

Disclaimer: This information has been taken from the brilliant Andrew Marr’s History of the World series (2012), which is highly recommended as a good, overall summary of our collective history.