Discussion Thread: https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...tory-of-civilization-discussion-thread.547148
Original Story: https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/a-different-story-of-civilization.117306/
A Different Story of Civilization: Bronze Age
Chapter 1 - Early Nilotia
Dinginginginginginginginginginginging
Tisquantum barely made it into the classroom on time.
"Everybody sit down! Class has started." Mrs. Squawra exclaimed.
"Huffhuffhufhuff." Tisquantum was still gasping for air. It was not easy sprinting down the Keltic hallways with 7 kilograms of textbooks on your back.
"Now students. Please take out your copy of Man's Civilizations and Their Fates." By Jairo Yung Mr.s Squawra commanded the class.
Tisquantum unzipped his bookbag and slowly raised out his history textbook. It was a gray and black door-stopper that looked like it definitely had seen better days. All of the corners were peeling, the back of the book had tears and scuff marks, and it looked like the top spine of the book was starting to come apart.
"We will begin at the first chapter of course. Everybody please turn to page 1." Mrs. Squawra directed the students.
Tisquantum started to browse through the book to see the table of contents. Just by his casual glance Tisquantum could tell that many of the pages in this textbook were going to be colored over or highlighted or torn or even missing. A quick peek towards the back of the book and Tisquantum found some stick figure drawings of a swordsman trying to slay a fire-breathing dragon that looked more like a misshapen chicken with a giant tail and scales.
As the room was filled with the noise of air and paper being shuffled about and Squawra starting up her projector. Tisquantum finally found the table of contents. Just by reading the titles, Tisquantum could tell some very questionable people (The Karawa Company to be exact) with outdated worldviews and vocabulary published this text.
The rest of the contents were on other very fragile pages. At the bottom of one of the pages was "© 1988". I guess it is no surprise a 32 year old book is so beat up then. Tisquantum turned Man's Civilizations to page one right as the teacher began to lecture.
"Since this is the first day of the school year, I will read from the book. Starting tomorrow though I expect you students to read out loud."
"The question of why man decided to stop hunting & gathering and started to farm and live in cities is a question that has perplexed anthropologists and historians for millennia. For the vast majority of human history, mankind has thrived just fine following the beast migrations and figuring out what plants to eat. Human beings have weathered numerous ice ages and Neanderthals and carnivorous man-eaters all during the paleolithic epoch. It is only within the last 15,000 years that human beings have decided to pick up a plow and make a field of crops. This strange experiment seemed foolhardy at first, but it soon paid off dividends. Gradually, agriculture gave birth to civilization itself which is responsible for architecture, art, music, literature, inventions, organized religion, diplomacy, professional militaries, engineering, division of labor, and science. Like a massive wave, civilizations started to spread throughout the entire world, some independent, some by trade, other by force.
Not all tribes tried their hand at agriculture and civilization at the same point of time though. As a matter of fact, there are still indigenous peoples in Borneo New Mu and Abya Yala that still live like their ancestors did 100,000 years ago. The first recorded instance of farming took place in Nilotia, the Northeast region of Kemetia that is in modern-day Dinkara. Wild grains were collected in that area by Hadzanians in the 20,000 BM. By pure coincidence, Kamehameha had also begun agriculture in the Barbarnous basins 2,000 years later. Still, even though man now had a reliable food source, the founding of cities that had the population density to begin civilization didn't start until the Nuerians created Nuuk in 3500 BM."
"Are there any questions?" Mrs. Squawra paused her reading.
Nobody asked any questions. But as Tisquantum scanned the room, he saw a pair of students in the far right corner about to fall asleep and start snoozing. For their sake they better not snore. A few more students were secretly sending messages to others by their HUDS reading their brainwaves and sending messages; these students were only pretending to read the giant textbook.
"None?" Mrs. Squawra was mildly surprised. "Alrighty then, I will continue."
"Most historians have suggested that Nuer was first permanently settled between c. 5500 and 4000 BM by an East Kemetian people who spoke the Nuer language (pointing to the names of cities, rivers, basic occupations, etc.as evidence). The Nuer language is a Nilo-Tambarare language.The Nuer language has its own unique alphabet different from its Kemeto-Yalan neighbors.
Nuer had founded over 6 major cities in the 4th Millennium BM. They were Nuuk, Nur, Nurdu, Thorgash, Erish, and Uppur. The Nuerian city-states rose to power during the prehistoric Nubad and Nuuk periods. Nuerian written history reaches back to the 27th century BM and before, but the historical record remains obscure until the Early Dynastic III period, c. the 23rd century BM, when a now deciphered syllabary writing system was developed, which has allowed archaeologists to read contemporary records and inscriptions.
The dynastic period begins c. 2900 BM and was associated with a shift from the temple establishment headed by council of elders led by a priestly 'En'. In Nuer the chief priests and kings were one and the same. The earliest dynastic king on the Nuerian king list whose name is known from any other legendary source is Thoknana, 13th king of the first dynasty of Erish. The earliest king authenticated through archaeological evidence is Yite of Bantusta (c. 26th century BM), whose name is also mentioned in the Naath epic—leading to the suggestion that Naath himself might have been a historical king of Naath. As the Epic of Naath shows, this period was associated with increased war. Cities became walled, and increased in size as undefended villages in southern Nilotia disappeared. (Both Yite and Naath are credited with having built the walls of Nuuk).
The Nubad period is marked by a distinctive style of fine quality painted pottery which spread throughout Nilotia and coastal Kemetia.
By the time of the Nuuk period (c. 4100–2900 BM calibrated), the volume of trade goods transported along the canals and rivers of southern Nilotia facilitated the rise of many large, stratified, temple-centered cities (with populations of over 30,000 people) where centralized administrations employed specialized workers. It is fairly certain that it was during the Nuuk period that Nuerian cities began to make use of slave labor captured from the scrubland country, and there is ample evidence for captured slaves as workers in the earliest texts.
Nuuk, one of Nuer's largest cities, has been estimated to have had a population of 150,000–240,000 at its height; given the other cities in Nuuk, and the large agricultural population, a rough estimate for Nuuk's population might be 2.4 million to 4.5 million. The world population at this time has been estimated at about 54 million. Nuerian culture was male-dominated and stratified.
The most important archaeological discoveries in Nuuk are a large number of clay tablets written in cuneiform script. Nuerian writing is considered to be a great milestone in the development of humanity's ability to not only create historical records but also in creating pieces of literature, both in the form of poetic epics and stories as well as prayers and laws. Although picture.
A prime example of cuneiform writing would be a lengthy poem that was discovered in the ruins of Nuuk. The Epic of Naath was written in the standard Nuerian cuneiform. It tells of a king from the early Dynastic named Naath. The story is based around the fictional adventures of Naath and his companion, Nurdu. It was laid out on several clay tablets and is claimed to be the earliest example of a fictional, written piece of literature discovered so far."
Tupino raised his hand.
"Yes, Tupino?" Mrs. Squawra responded to his hand.
"Who is Naath and what is so epic about him?" Tisquantum had no idea if Tupino was joking or not. Nevertheless, Mrs. Squawra seemed to take the question seriously."
"Well Tupino. Today is your lucky day. I have a modern version of The Epic of Naath right here that was translated into Cuban." Mrs. Squawra ducked underneath her desk before pulling out a tiny but thick journal that said The Epic of Naath in big, blocky, and antiquated letters. Here are some key passages.
"Naath is strong to perfection, son of the august cow, Sahmat-‐Sarsan. Let his body urge him back to the wives. at the word of Vallmash, Lord of the Mountain, that you were roused. O scion of the heart of Nuuk, King Naath! Naath is the bravest of the men, the boldest of the males! In twice 60 rods Naath had used up the punting poles."
"I am going to stop reading from The Epic of Naath now." Mrs. Squawra told us. " This book would be X-Rated by modern standards and besides we have the curriculum to cover. Back to the textbook."
"Nuerians believed in anthropomorphic polytheism, or the belief in many gods in human form. There was no common set of gods; each city-state had its own patrons, temples, and priest-kings. Nonetheless, these were not exclusive; the gods of one city were often acknowledged elsewhere.
The Nuerians adopted an agricultural lifestyle perhaps as early as c. 5000 BM – 4500 BM. The region demonstrated a number of core agricultural techniques, including organized irrigation, large-scale intensive cultivation of land, mono-cropping involving the use of plough agriculture, and the use of an agricultural specialized labour force under bureaucratic control. The necessity to manage temple accounts with this organization led to the development of writing (c. 3500 BM).
In the early Nuerian Nuuk period, the primitive pictograms suggest that buffalo, and pigs were domesticated. They used wildebeests as their primary beasts of burden and zebras plus … donkeys as their primary transport animal and woolen clothing as well as rugs were made from the wool or hair of the animals. By the side of the house was an enclosed garden planted with trees and other plants; watermelon and other fruits were sown in the fields, and the pole sweeper was already employed for the purpose of irrigation. Plants were also grown in pots or vases."
The book actually read 'asses' instead of donkeys but Mrs. Squawra decided not to read that word out loud. Many of the students still snickered as they saw it however. Mrs. Squawra just kept reading.
"The Nuerians were great creators, nothing proves this more than their artifacts and sculptures.
The Obara plain lacked minerals and trees. Nuerian structures were made of plano-convex mud-brick, not fixed with mortar or cement. Mud-brick buildings eventually deteriorated, so they were periodically destroyed, leveled, and rebuilt on the same spot. This constant rebuilding gradually raised the level of cities, which thus came to be elevated above the surrounding plain. The resultant hills are found throughout ancient Kemetia.
The almost constant wars among the Nuerian city-states for 2,000 years helped to develop the military technology and techniques of Nuer to a high level. The first war recorded in any detail of all history was between Thorgash and Uppur in c. 2525 BM on a monument called the piece of the vultures. It shows the king of Thorgash leading a Nuerian army consisting mostly of infantry. The infantry carried spears, wore copper helmets, and carried rectangular shields. The spearmen are shown arranged in what resembles the square phalanx formation, which requires training and discipline; this implies that the Nuerians may have made use of professional soldiers."
Nuer reigned from 4500 BM to 2300 BM when a king known as Fellon of Oromo or Fellon the Great conquered the Nuerian city-states. Born of a high-priestess and a cupbearer, Fellon united all of Nilotia by conquering the Northern and central regions. After the Oromo conquests, the Nuer language was reduced to only a liturgical language before dying out in the 1st Century AB. Fellon throughout his long life, showed special deference to the Nuerian deities, particularly Trisha. He anointed himself as priest and his daughter, Sheba, as priestess who later on became the world's first poet.
Fellon took this process further, conquering many of the surrounding regions to create an empire that reached westward as far as Northwest Kemetia and perhaps the Southeastern Naspas; there are also texts that described the empire even stretching into the horn of Kemetia. The Fellon dynasty controlled the region over which he reigned for 56 years, though only four "year-names" survive. He consolidated his dominion over his territories by replacing the earlier opposing rulers with noble citizens of Oromo, his native city where loyalty would thus be ensured.
Fellon had crushed opposition even at old age. These difficulties broke out again in the reign of his sons, where revolts broke out during the nine-year reign of his firstborn (2278–2270 BM), who fought hard to retain the empire, and was successful until he was assassinated by some of his own courtiers. The elder brother succeeded him. The latter seems to have fought a sea battle against 32 kings who had gathered against him and had taken control over their pre-Nilotic country, consisting of modern-day U.S.C. and Ezana. Despite the success, like his Nuerian predecessors he seems to have been assassinated in a palace conspiracy.
This is a copper bust of high priestess Sheba. She is wearing a crown that represents both her divinity and her fertility. Archaeologists date this headpiece back to the 23rd Century BM.
To better police Northeast Kemetia, Tewodros of the Oromo dynasty built a royal residence at a crossroads at the heart of the Bisa River basin. Tewodros campaigned against the city of Ge'ez which revolted; Tewodros instituted garrisons to protect the main roads. The chief threat seemed to be coming from the Kemetia-Abya Yala connection. The Oromo empire eventually settled the entire northern Kemetia coastline. This newfound Oromo wealth may have been based upon benign climatic conditions, huge agricultural surpluses and the confiscation of the wealth of other peoples.
The economy was highly planned. Grain was cleaned, and rations of grain and oil were distributed in standardized vessels made by the city's potters. Taxes were paid in produce and labour on public walls, including city walls, temples, irrigation canals and waterways, producing huge agricultural surpluses.
During the Oromo period, the Oromo language became the trade language of the Northern half of Kemetia, and was officially used for administration, although the Nuerian language remained as a spoken and literary language. The spread of Akanian stretched from Swahilia to Dinkara in both speech and writing. Oromo texts later found their way to far-off places, from Siznii and Pyg to even Iztata. The Oromo made a big impression on the Akanians considering they were mentioned in the Holy Bizaad.
The Oromo government formed a "classical standard" with which all future Nilotian states compared themselves. Traditionally, the Kahini was the highest functionary of the Nuerian city-states. In later traditions, one became a Kahini by figuratively marrying the goddess Betria, legitimising the rulership through divine consent.
Initially, the monarchical Nigusi (king) was subordinate to the priestly Kahini, and was appointed at times of troubles, but by later dynastic times, it was the Nigusi who had emerged as the pre-eminent role, having his own palace independent from the temple establishment. By 2400 B.M., whichever dynasty controlled the city of Bantusta was considered preeminent in Nuer, possibly because this was where the Bisa river was strongest, and whoever controlled Bantusta ultimately controlled the irrigation systems of the other cities downstream.
The population of Oromo, like nearly all pre-modern states, was entirely dependent upon the agricultural systems of the region, which seem to have had two principal centres: the irrigated farmlands of southern Hausastan that traditionally had a yield of 60 grains returned for each grain sown and the rain-fed agriculture of northern Hausastan, known as the "Upper Country."
Southern Hausastan during the Oromo period seems to have been approaching its modern rainfall level of 30 mm of rain per year, with the result that agriculture was totally dependent upon irrigation. Before the Oromo period, the progressive salinisation of the soils, produced by poorly drained irrigation, had been reducing yields of millet in the southern part of the country, leading to the conversion to more salt-tolerant barley growing. Urban populations there had peaked already by 2,600 BC, and demographic pressures were high, contributing to the rise of militarism apparent immediately before the Oromo period (as seen in the Stele of the Vultures of Eannatum). Warfare between city states had led to a population decline, from which Oromo provided a temporary respite. It was this high degree of agricultural productivity in the south that enabled the growth of the highest population densities in the world at this time, giving Oromo its military advantage.
Wildebeests have historically been of the highest symbolic, religious and economic value to the Nuer. Among the Nuer people the difference between people and wildebeest was continually underplayed. Wildebeests are particularly important in their role as bride wealth, where they are given by a husband's lineage to his wife's lineage. This exchange of wildebeests ensures that the children will be considered to belong to the husband's lineage. The classical Nuer institution of ghost marriage, in which a man can "father" children after his death, is based on this definition of relations of kinship and descent by wildebeest exchange. In their turn, wildebeests are given over to the wife's patrilineage to enable the male children of that patrilineage to marry and thereby ensure the continuity of her patrilineage. An infertile woman can even take a wife of her own, whose children, biologically fathered by men from other unions, then become members of her patrilineage, and she is legally and culturally their father, allowing her to metaphorically participate in reproduction.
Nuer life revolves around wildebeests, which made them pastoralists, but they were known to sometimes resort to horticulture as well, especially when their wildebeest are threatened by disease. Due to seasonal harsh weather, the Nuer moved around to ensure that their livelihood was safe. They tended to travel when heavy seasons of rainfall came to protect the wildebeest from hoof disease, and when resources for the wildebeests were scarce. They depend on the herds for their very existence...Wildebeests are the thread that runs through Nuer institutions, language, rites of passage, politics, economy, and allegiances.
To the Nuer individual, his parents and siblings are not considered (blood relatives) kin. He did not refer to them as kin. To him they are considered 'Mosso' something which is far more intimate and significant. There are kinship categories in the Nuer society. Those categories depend on the payment to them. There is a balance between the mother and father's side that is acknowledged through particular formal occasions such as marriage.
Kinship among the Nuer is very important to them, they refer to their blood relatives as `'Mosso". Kinship within the Nuer is formed off of one's neighbors or their entire culture. Kinship obligations include caring for the children of one's kin and neighbors. The network of kinship ties which links members of local communities is brought about by the operation of exogamous rules, often stated in terms of wildebeests. This is never thought to be the sole responsibility of the child's parents." Wildebeests are judged by how much milk they can produce which is a necessity in their culture. If possible they create the excess of milk into cheese. But if a family's herd cannot produce the amount of milk a family needs then they turn to others around them to give them what they need. It's seen as their responsibility to step in and help the family since it's not really their fault on how much their wildebeest can produce. The entire Nuer society is basically watching after each other, for example, when one household has a surplus, it is shared with neighbors. Amassing wealth is not an aim. Although a man who owns a large herd of wildebeests may be envied, his possession of numerous animals does not garner him any special privilege or treatment. In this tribe there is no special treatment for how one is treated because of their abundance in wildebeests. Just because one might have more wildebeests than another doesn't mean they have a higher prestige. If one might have more than enough to provide for themselves then they also provide that to other kin that are in need, as it is a part of their role in kinship.
Here is a description of Nuer cosmology and religion. The spirits of the air above are believed to be the most powerful of the lesser spirits, while there are also spirits associated with clan-spears names such as SoW, a spirit of war, associated with thunder. Nuers believed that when a man or a woman dies, the flesh, the life and the soul separate. The flesh is committed to the earth, while the breath or life goes back to God. The soul that signifies the human individuality and personality remains alive as a shadow or a reflection, and departs together with the wildebeest sacrificed, to the place of the ghosts.".
Later material described how the fall of Oromo was due to Fulasha's attack upon the cities of the west. When prompted by a pair of inauspicious oracles, the king sacked holy temples, supposedly protected by the god Sana, head of the pantheon. As a result of this, eight chief deities were supposed to have come together and withdrawn their support from Oromo.
The kings of Oromo were legendary among later Nilotian civilizations, with Bahari understood as the prototype of a strong and wise leader, and his grandson Fulasha considered the wicked and impious leader who brought ruin upon his kingdom.
A tablet from the period reads, '(From the earliest days) no-one had made a statue of lead, (but) Ubangia king of Bantusta, had a statue of himself made of lead. It stood before Sana; and it recited his (Ubangia's) virtues to the idea of the gods'. The copper statues, cast with the lost wax method, testifies to the high level of skill that craftsmen achieved during the Oromo period.
The empire was bound together by roads, along which there was a regular postal service. Clay seals that took the place of stamps bear the names of Bahari and his son. A cadastral survey seems also to have been instituted, and one of the documents relating to it states that a Fangite man was governor of a large city-state. It is probable that the first collection of astronomical observations and terrestrial omens was made for a library established by Bahari. The earliest "year names", whereby each year of a king's reign was named after a significant event performed by that king, date from Bahari's reign. Lists of these "year names" henceforth became a calendrical system used in most independent Nilotian city-states. In Berberia, however, years came to be named for the annual presiding limmu official appointed by the king, rather than for an event.
The empire of Oromo fell, perhaps in the 22nd century BM, within 180 years of its founding, ushering in a "Dark Age" with no prominent imperial authority until the Hadzanians. The region's political structure may have reverted to the previous condition of local governance by city-states.
Later rulers tried to restore authority before falling to barbarians from the Southeast region of the empire.
One theory associates regional decline at the end of the Oromo period and the contemporary Siznii dynasty was associated with rapidly increasing aridity, and failing rainfall in the region of Ancient Kemetia, caused by a global centennial-scale drought.
Nilotia remained an area devoid of major activity until the Hadzaan arrived on the scene in 1894 BM. Hadzan was initially a minor city-state, and controlled little surrounding territory; its first four rulers did not assume the title of king. The older and more powerful state of Egypt overshadowed Hadzan until it became the capital of Gelanebe's short lived empire about a century later. Gelanebe (r. 1792–1750 BM) is famous for codifying the laws of Hadzaa into the Code of Gelanebe. He conquered all of the cities and city states of southern Nilotia, coalescing them into one kingdom, ruled from Hadzan. After a protracted struggle with the powerful Egyptian king Tankhamun of the Old Egyptian empire he forced his successor to pay tribute late in his reign, spreading Hadzaan power to Kemetia Minor."
Tisquantum raised his hand.
"Yes Tisquantum, you had a question?"
"Yes, I heard that the code of Gelanebe was the basis of the Ten Commandments in the Old Bizaad. Is that true?" Tisquantum asked a real question.
"There are probably some similarities. And I wouldn't be surprised if the Akanians knew about the Code of Gelanebe considering they initially lived in a similar area, but you don't have to bring plagiarism into this. It should be no surprise that 2 different societies have similar penalties for theft and perjury and adultery and vandalism. Even native Paklians had laws against most of that stuff!" Mrs. Squawra lectured.
"Now let's continue."
"Texts from Old Hadza often include references to Vallmash treated as a supreme deity. Vallmash was lowered to reflect Hadzan's rising political power.
In 1595 BM the city was overthrown by the Amazighs from Berberia. Thereafter, Northwestern Dinkarans captured Kofa, ushering in a dynasty that lasted for 435 years, until 1160 BM. Dinkaran Hadzan eventually became subject to the Egyptian Empire (1365–1053 BM) to the north vying for control of the city. The Egyptian queen Tiye I took the throne of Hadza in 1235 BM Egyptian control of Hadzan didn't last long because of the Late Bronze Age collapse.
Before modern archaeological excavations in Nilotia, the appearance of Hadza was largely a mystery, and typically envisioned by Western artists as a hybrid between ancient Egyptian, classical Iztatan, and contemporary Swahili culture.
Due to Oromo's historical significance as well as references to it in the Bizaad, the word "Oromo'' in various languages has acquired a generic meaning of a large, bustling, diverse city.
In the Book of Genesis (Genesis 10:10), a united human race, speaking one language, migrates to Hadz to establish a tower—the Tower of Hadz. God halts construction of the tower by scattering humanity across the earth and confusing their communication so they are unable to understand each other in the same language.
Oromo appears throughout the Hebrew Bizaad, including several prophecies and in descriptions of the destruction of Tsaun and subsequent Oromo captivity. "And according to my watch the class will end in 1 minute so that is enough for today. Good news everyone! No homework this week since we are just starting out. Do not get too comfortable however because this course will pick up soon."
The students started to put their books and pencils and HUDs away. By the time the trio was finished, the hallways exploded with people and gossip as teens were leaving their classroom.
Original Story: https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/a-different-story-of-civilization.117306/
A Different Story of Civilization: Bronze Age
Chapter 1 - Early Nilotia
Dinginginginginginginginginginginging
Tisquantum barely made it into the classroom on time.
"Everybody sit down! Class has started." Mrs. Squawra exclaimed.
"Huffhuffhufhuff." Tisquantum was still gasping for air. It was not easy sprinting down the Keltic hallways with 7 kilograms of textbooks on your back.
"Now students. Please take out your copy of Man's Civilizations and Their Fates." By Jairo Yung Mr.s Squawra commanded the class.
Tisquantum unzipped his bookbag and slowly raised out his history textbook. It was a gray and black door-stopper that looked like it definitely had seen better days. All of the corners were peeling, the back of the book had tears and scuff marks, and it looked like the top spine of the book was starting to come apart.
"We will begin at the first chapter of course. Everybody please turn to page 1." Mrs. Squawra directed the students.
Tisquantum started to browse through the book to see the table of contents. Just by his casual glance Tisquantum could tell that many of the pages in this textbook were going to be colored over or highlighted or torn or even missing. A quick peek towards the back of the book and Tisquantum found some stick figure drawings of a swordsman trying to slay a fire-breathing dragon that looked more like a misshapen chicken with a giant tail and scales.
As the room was filled with the noise of air and paper being shuffled about and Squawra starting up her projector. Tisquantum finally found the table of contents. Just by reading the titles, Tisquantum could tell some very questionable people (The Karawa Company to be exact) with outdated worldviews and vocabulary published this text.
- Begone Bronze Age empires of Nilotia.
- People of the range. Uluru gets it start.
- The Kamehamehans make a grand civilization.
- From farmers to Caciques. The birth of Siznii.
- The Great collapse of the ancients.
The rest of the contents were on other very fragile pages. At the bottom of one of the pages was "© 1988". I guess it is no surprise a 32 year old book is so beat up then. Tisquantum turned Man's Civilizations to page one right as the teacher began to lecture.
"Since this is the first day of the school year, I will read from the book. Starting tomorrow though I expect you students to read out loud."
"The question of why man decided to stop hunting & gathering and started to farm and live in cities is a question that has perplexed anthropologists and historians for millennia. For the vast majority of human history, mankind has thrived just fine following the beast migrations and figuring out what plants to eat. Human beings have weathered numerous ice ages and Neanderthals and carnivorous man-eaters all during the paleolithic epoch. It is only within the last 15,000 years that human beings have decided to pick up a plow and make a field of crops. This strange experiment seemed foolhardy at first, but it soon paid off dividends. Gradually, agriculture gave birth to civilization itself which is responsible for architecture, art, music, literature, inventions, organized religion, diplomacy, professional militaries, engineering, division of labor, and science. Like a massive wave, civilizations started to spread throughout the entire world, some independent, some by trade, other by force.
Not all tribes tried their hand at agriculture and civilization at the same point of time though. As a matter of fact, there are still indigenous peoples in Borneo New Mu and Abya Yala that still live like their ancestors did 100,000 years ago. The first recorded instance of farming took place in Nilotia, the Northeast region of Kemetia that is in modern-day Dinkara. Wild grains were collected in that area by Hadzanians in the 20,000 BM. By pure coincidence, Kamehameha had also begun agriculture in the Barbarnous basins 2,000 years later. Still, even though man now had a reliable food source, the founding of cities that had the population density to begin civilization didn't start until the Nuerians created Nuuk in 3500 BM."
"Are there any questions?" Mrs. Squawra paused her reading.
Nobody asked any questions. But as Tisquantum scanned the room, he saw a pair of students in the far right corner about to fall asleep and start snoozing. For their sake they better not snore. A few more students were secretly sending messages to others by their HUDS reading their brainwaves and sending messages; these students were only pretending to read the giant textbook.
"None?" Mrs. Squawra was mildly surprised. "Alrighty then, I will continue."
"Most historians have suggested that Nuer was first permanently settled between c. 5500 and 4000 BM by an East Kemetian people who spoke the Nuer language (pointing to the names of cities, rivers, basic occupations, etc.as evidence). The Nuer language is a Nilo-Tambarare language.The Nuer language has its own unique alphabet different from its Kemeto-Yalan neighbors.
Nuer had founded over 6 major cities in the 4th Millennium BM. They were Nuuk, Nur, Nurdu, Thorgash, Erish, and Uppur. The Nuerian city-states rose to power during the prehistoric Nubad and Nuuk periods. Nuerian written history reaches back to the 27th century BM and before, but the historical record remains obscure until the Early Dynastic III period, c. the 23rd century BM, when a now deciphered syllabary writing system was developed, which has allowed archaeologists to read contemporary records and inscriptions.
The dynastic period begins c. 2900 BM and was associated with a shift from the temple establishment headed by council of elders led by a priestly 'En'. In Nuer the chief priests and kings were one and the same. The earliest dynastic king on the Nuerian king list whose name is known from any other legendary source is Thoknana, 13th king of the first dynasty of Erish. The earliest king authenticated through archaeological evidence is Yite of Bantusta (c. 26th century BM), whose name is also mentioned in the Naath epic—leading to the suggestion that Naath himself might have been a historical king of Naath. As the Epic of Naath shows, this period was associated with increased war. Cities became walled, and increased in size as undefended villages in southern Nilotia disappeared. (Both Yite and Naath are credited with having built the walls of Nuuk).
The Nubad period is marked by a distinctive style of fine quality painted pottery which spread throughout Nilotia and coastal Kemetia.
By the time of the Nuuk period (c. 4100–2900 BM calibrated), the volume of trade goods transported along the canals and rivers of southern Nilotia facilitated the rise of many large, stratified, temple-centered cities (with populations of over 30,000 people) where centralized administrations employed specialized workers. It is fairly certain that it was during the Nuuk period that Nuerian cities began to make use of slave labor captured from the scrubland country, and there is ample evidence for captured slaves as workers in the earliest texts.
Nuuk, one of Nuer's largest cities, has been estimated to have had a population of 150,000–240,000 at its height; given the other cities in Nuuk, and the large agricultural population, a rough estimate for Nuuk's population might be 2.4 million to 4.5 million. The world population at this time has been estimated at about 54 million. Nuerian culture was male-dominated and stratified.
The most important archaeological discoveries in Nuuk are a large number of clay tablets written in cuneiform script. Nuerian writing is considered to be a great milestone in the development of humanity's ability to not only create historical records but also in creating pieces of literature, both in the form of poetic epics and stories as well as prayers and laws. Although picture.
A prime example of cuneiform writing would be a lengthy poem that was discovered in the ruins of Nuuk. The Epic of Naath was written in the standard Nuerian cuneiform. It tells of a king from the early Dynastic named Naath. The story is based around the fictional adventures of Naath and his companion, Nurdu. It was laid out on several clay tablets and is claimed to be the earliest example of a fictional, written piece of literature discovered so far."
Tupino raised his hand.
"Yes, Tupino?" Mrs. Squawra responded to his hand.
"Who is Naath and what is so epic about him?" Tisquantum had no idea if Tupino was joking or not. Nevertheless, Mrs. Squawra seemed to take the question seriously."
"Well Tupino. Today is your lucky day. I have a modern version of The Epic of Naath right here that was translated into Cuban." Mrs. Squawra ducked underneath her desk before pulling out a tiny but thick journal that said The Epic of Naath in big, blocky, and antiquated letters. Here are some key passages.
"Naath is strong to perfection, son of the august cow, Sahmat-‐Sarsan. Let his body urge him back to the wives. at the word of Vallmash, Lord of the Mountain, that you were roused. O scion of the heart of Nuuk, King Naath! Naath is the bravest of the men, the boldest of the males! In twice 60 rods Naath had used up the punting poles."
"I am going to stop reading from The Epic of Naath now." Mrs. Squawra told us. " This book would be X-Rated by modern standards and besides we have the curriculum to cover. Back to the textbook."
"Nuerians believed in anthropomorphic polytheism, or the belief in many gods in human form. There was no common set of gods; each city-state had its own patrons, temples, and priest-kings. Nonetheless, these were not exclusive; the gods of one city were often acknowledged elsewhere.
The Nuerians adopted an agricultural lifestyle perhaps as early as c. 5000 BM – 4500 BM. The region demonstrated a number of core agricultural techniques, including organized irrigation, large-scale intensive cultivation of land, mono-cropping involving the use of plough agriculture, and the use of an agricultural specialized labour force under bureaucratic control. The necessity to manage temple accounts with this organization led to the development of writing (c. 3500 BM).
In the early Nuerian Nuuk period, the primitive pictograms suggest that buffalo, and pigs were domesticated. They used wildebeests as their primary beasts of burden and zebras plus … donkeys as their primary transport animal and woolen clothing as well as rugs were made from the wool or hair of the animals. By the side of the house was an enclosed garden planted with trees and other plants; watermelon and other fruits were sown in the fields, and the pole sweeper was already employed for the purpose of irrigation. Plants were also grown in pots or vases."
The book actually read 'asses' instead of donkeys but Mrs. Squawra decided not to read that word out loud. Many of the students still snickered as they saw it however. Mrs. Squawra just kept reading.
"The Nuerians were great creators, nothing proves this more than their artifacts and sculptures.
The Obara plain lacked minerals and trees. Nuerian structures were made of plano-convex mud-brick, not fixed with mortar or cement. Mud-brick buildings eventually deteriorated, so they were periodically destroyed, leveled, and rebuilt on the same spot. This constant rebuilding gradually raised the level of cities, which thus came to be elevated above the surrounding plain. The resultant hills are found throughout ancient Kemetia.
The almost constant wars among the Nuerian city-states for 2,000 years helped to develop the military technology and techniques of Nuer to a high level. The first war recorded in any detail of all history was between Thorgash and Uppur in c. 2525 BM on a monument called the piece of the vultures. It shows the king of Thorgash leading a Nuerian army consisting mostly of infantry. The infantry carried spears, wore copper helmets, and carried rectangular shields. The spearmen are shown arranged in what resembles the square phalanx formation, which requires training and discipline; this implies that the Nuerians may have made use of professional soldiers."
Nuer reigned from 4500 BM to 2300 BM when a king known as Fellon of Oromo or Fellon the Great conquered the Nuerian city-states. Born of a high-priestess and a cupbearer, Fellon united all of Nilotia by conquering the Northern and central regions. After the Oromo conquests, the Nuer language was reduced to only a liturgical language before dying out in the 1st Century AB. Fellon throughout his long life, showed special deference to the Nuerian deities, particularly Trisha. He anointed himself as priest and his daughter, Sheba, as priestess who later on became the world's first poet.
Fellon took this process further, conquering many of the surrounding regions to create an empire that reached westward as far as Northwest Kemetia and perhaps the Southeastern Naspas; there are also texts that described the empire even stretching into the horn of Kemetia. The Fellon dynasty controlled the region over which he reigned for 56 years, though only four "year-names" survive. He consolidated his dominion over his territories by replacing the earlier opposing rulers with noble citizens of Oromo, his native city where loyalty would thus be ensured.
Fellon had crushed opposition even at old age. These difficulties broke out again in the reign of his sons, where revolts broke out during the nine-year reign of his firstborn (2278–2270 BM), who fought hard to retain the empire, and was successful until he was assassinated by some of his own courtiers. The elder brother succeeded him. The latter seems to have fought a sea battle against 32 kings who had gathered against him and had taken control over their pre-Nilotic country, consisting of modern-day U.S.C. and Ezana. Despite the success, like his Nuerian predecessors he seems to have been assassinated in a palace conspiracy.
This is a copper bust of high priestess Sheba. She is wearing a crown that represents both her divinity and her fertility. Archaeologists date this headpiece back to the 23rd Century BM.
To better police Northeast Kemetia, Tewodros of the Oromo dynasty built a royal residence at a crossroads at the heart of the Bisa River basin. Tewodros campaigned against the city of Ge'ez which revolted; Tewodros instituted garrisons to protect the main roads. The chief threat seemed to be coming from the Kemetia-Abya Yala connection. The Oromo empire eventually settled the entire northern Kemetia coastline. This newfound Oromo wealth may have been based upon benign climatic conditions, huge agricultural surpluses and the confiscation of the wealth of other peoples.
The economy was highly planned. Grain was cleaned, and rations of grain and oil were distributed in standardized vessels made by the city's potters. Taxes were paid in produce and labour on public walls, including city walls, temples, irrigation canals and waterways, producing huge agricultural surpluses.
During the Oromo period, the Oromo language became the trade language of the Northern half of Kemetia, and was officially used for administration, although the Nuerian language remained as a spoken and literary language. The spread of Akanian stretched from Swahilia to Dinkara in both speech and writing. Oromo texts later found their way to far-off places, from Siznii and Pyg to even Iztata. The Oromo made a big impression on the Akanians considering they were mentioned in the Holy Bizaad.
The Oromo government formed a "classical standard" with which all future Nilotian states compared themselves. Traditionally, the Kahini was the highest functionary of the Nuerian city-states. In later traditions, one became a Kahini by figuratively marrying the goddess Betria, legitimising the rulership through divine consent.
Initially, the monarchical Nigusi (king) was subordinate to the priestly Kahini, and was appointed at times of troubles, but by later dynastic times, it was the Nigusi who had emerged as the pre-eminent role, having his own palace independent from the temple establishment. By 2400 B.M., whichever dynasty controlled the city of Bantusta was considered preeminent in Nuer, possibly because this was where the Bisa river was strongest, and whoever controlled Bantusta ultimately controlled the irrigation systems of the other cities downstream.
The population of Oromo, like nearly all pre-modern states, was entirely dependent upon the agricultural systems of the region, which seem to have had two principal centres: the irrigated farmlands of southern Hausastan that traditionally had a yield of 60 grains returned for each grain sown and the rain-fed agriculture of northern Hausastan, known as the "Upper Country."
Southern Hausastan during the Oromo period seems to have been approaching its modern rainfall level of 30 mm of rain per year, with the result that agriculture was totally dependent upon irrigation. Before the Oromo period, the progressive salinisation of the soils, produced by poorly drained irrigation, had been reducing yields of millet in the southern part of the country, leading to the conversion to more salt-tolerant barley growing. Urban populations there had peaked already by 2,600 BC, and demographic pressures were high, contributing to the rise of militarism apparent immediately before the Oromo period (as seen in the Stele of the Vultures of Eannatum). Warfare between city states had led to a population decline, from which Oromo provided a temporary respite. It was this high degree of agricultural productivity in the south that enabled the growth of the highest population densities in the world at this time, giving Oromo its military advantage.
Wildebeests have historically been of the highest symbolic, religious and economic value to the Nuer. Among the Nuer people the difference between people and wildebeest was continually underplayed. Wildebeests are particularly important in their role as bride wealth, where they are given by a husband's lineage to his wife's lineage. This exchange of wildebeests ensures that the children will be considered to belong to the husband's lineage. The classical Nuer institution of ghost marriage, in which a man can "father" children after his death, is based on this definition of relations of kinship and descent by wildebeest exchange. In their turn, wildebeests are given over to the wife's patrilineage to enable the male children of that patrilineage to marry and thereby ensure the continuity of her patrilineage. An infertile woman can even take a wife of her own, whose children, biologically fathered by men from other unions, then become members of her patrilineage, and she is legally and culturally their father, allowing her to metaphorically participate in reproduction.
Nuer life revolves around wildebeests, which made them pastoralists, but they were known to sometimes resort to horticulture as well, especially when their wildebeest are threatened by disease. Due to seasonal harsh weather, the Nuer moved around to ensure that their livelihood was safe. They tended to travel when heavy seasons of rainfall came to protect the wildebeest from hoof disease, and when resources for the wildebeests were scarce. They depend on the herds for their very existence...Wildebeests are the thread that runs through Nuer institutions, language, rites of passage, politics, economy, and allegiances.
To the Nuer individual, his parents and siblings are not considered (blood relatives) kin. He did not refer to them as kin. To him they are considered 'Mosso' something which is far more intimate and significant. There are kinship categories in the Nuer society. Those categories depend on the payment to them. There is a balance between the mother and father's side that is acknowledged through particular formal occasions such as marriage.
Kinship among the Nuer is very important to them, they refer to their blood relatives as `'Mosso". Kinship within the Nuer is formed off of one's neighbors or their entire culture. Kinship obligations include caring for the children of one's kin and neighbors. The network of kinship ties which links members of local communities is brought about by the operation of exogamous rules, often stated in terms of wildebeests. This is never thought to be the sole responsibility of the child's parents." Wildebeests are judged by how much milk they can produce which is a necessity in their culture. If possible they create the excess of milk into cheese. But if a family's herd cannot produce the amount of milk a family needs then they turn to others around them to give them what they need. It's seen as their responsibility to step in and help the family since it's not really their fault on how much their wildebeest can produce. The entire Nuer society is basically watching after each other, for example, when one household has a surplus, it is shared with neighbors. Amassing wealth is not an aim. Although a man who owns a large herd of wildebeests may be envied, his possession of numerous animals does not garner him any special privilege or treatment. In this tribe there is no special treatment for how one is treated because of their abundance in wildebeests. Just because one might have more wildebeests than another doesn't mean they have a higher prestige. If one might have more than enough to provide for themselves then they also provide that to other kin that are in need, as it is a part of their role in kinship.
Here is a description of Nuer cosmology and religion. The spirits of the air above are believed to be the most powerful of the lesser spirits, while there are also spirits associated with clan-spears names such as SoW, a spirit of war, associated with thunder. Nuers believed that when a man or a woman dies, the flesh, the life and the soul separate. The flesh is committed to the earth, while the breath or life goes back to God. The soul that signifies the human individuality and personality remains alive as a shadow or a reflection, and departs together with the wildebeest sacrificed, to the place of the ghosts.".
Later material described how the fall of Oromo was due to Fulasha's attack upon the cities of the west. When prompted by a pair of inauspicious oracles, the king sacked holy temples, supposedly protected by the god Sana, head of the pantheon. As a result of this, eight chief deities were supposed to have come together and withdrawn their support from Oromo.
The kings of Oromo were legendary among later Nilotian civilizations, with Bahari understood as the prototype of a strong and wise leader, and his grandson Fulasha considered the wicked and impious leader who brought ruin upon his kingdom.
A tablet from the period reads, '(From the earliest days) no-one had made a statue of lead, (but) Ubangia king of Bantusta, had a statue of himself made of lead. It stood before Sana; and it recited his (Ubangia's) virtues to the idea of the gods'. The copper statues, cast with the lost wax method, testifies to the high level of skill that craftsmen achieved during the Oromo period.
The empire was bound together by roads, along which there was a regular postal service. Clay seals that took the place of stamps bear the names of Bahari and his son. A cadastral survey seems also to have been instituted, and one of the documents relating to it states that a Fangite man was governor of a large city-state. It is probable that the first collection of astronomical observations and terrestrial omens was made for a library established by Bahari. The earliest "year names", whereby each year of a king's reign was named after a significant event performed by that king, date from Bahari's reign. Lists of these "year names" henceforth became a calendrical system used in most independent Nilotian city-states. In Berberia, however, years came to be named for the annual presiding limmu official appointed by the king, rather than for an event.
The empire of Oromo fell, perhaps in the 22nd century BM, within 180 years of its founding, ushering in a "Dark Age" with no prominent imperial authority until the Hadzanians. The region's political structure may have reverted to the previous condition of local governance by city-states.
Later rulers tried to restore authority before falling to barbarians from the Southeast region of the empire.
One theory associates regional decline at the end of the Oromo period and the contemporary Siznii dynasty was associated with rapidly increasing aridity, and failing rainfall in the region of Ancient Kemetia, caused by a global centennial-scale drought.
Nilotia remained an area devoid of major activity until the Hadzaan arrived on the scene in 1894 BM. Hadzan was initially a minor city-state, and controlled little surrounding territory; its first four rulers did not assume the title of king. The older and more powerful state of Egypt overshadowed Hadzan until it became the capital of Gelanebe's short lived empire about a century later. Gelanebe (r. 1792–1750 BM) is famous for codifying the laws of Hadzaa into the Code of Gelanebe. He conquered all of the cities and city states of southern Nilotia, coalescing them into one kingdom, ruled from Hadzan. After a protracted struggle with the powerful Egyptian king Tankhamun of the Old Egyptian empire he forced his successor to pay tribute late in his reign, spreading Hadzaan power to Kemetia Minor."
Tisquantum raised his hand.
"Yes Tisquantum, you had a question?"
"Yes, I heard that the code of Gelanebe was the basis of the Ten Commandments in the Old Bizaad. Is that true?" Tisquantum asked a real question.
"There are probably some similarities. And I wouldn't be surprised if the Akanians knew about the Code of Gelanebe considering they initially lived in a similar area, but you don't have to bring plagiarism into this. It should be no surprise that 2 different societies have similar penalties for theft and perjury and adultery and vandalism. Even native Paklians had laws against most of that stuff!" Mrs. Squawra lectured.
"Now let's continue."
"Texts from Old Hadza often include references to Vallmash treated as a supreme deity. Vallmash was lowered to reflect Hadzan's rising political power.
In 1595 BM the city was overthrown by the Amazighs from Berberia. Thereafter, Northwestern Dinkarans captured Kofa, ushering in a dynasty that lasted for 435 years, until 1160 BM. Dinkaran Hadzan eventually became subject to the Egyptian Empire (1365–1053 BM) to the north vying for control of the city. The Egyptian queen Tiye I took the throne of Hadza in 1235 BM Egyptian control of Hadzan didn't last long because of the Late Bronze Age collapse.
Before modern archaeological excavations in Nilotia, the appearance of Hadza was largely a mystery, and typically envisioned by Western artists as a hybrid between ancient Egyptian, classical Iztatan, and contemporary Swahili culture.
Due to Oromo's historical significance as well as references to it in the Bizaad, the word "Oromo'' in various languages has acquired a generic meaning of a large, bustling, diverse city.
In the Book of Genesis (Genesis 10:10), a united human race, speaking one language, migrates to Hadz to establish a tower—the Tower of Hadz. God halts construction of the tower by scattering humanity across the earth and confusing their communication so they are unable to understand each other in the same language.
Oromo appears throughout the Hebrew Bizaad, including several prophecies and in descriptions of the destruction of Tsaun and subsequent Oromo captivity. "And according to my watch the class will end in 1 minute so that is enough for today. Good news everyone! No homework this week since we are just starting out. Do not get too comfortable however because this course will pick up soon."
The students started to put their books and pencils and HUDs away. By the time the trio was finished, the hallways exploded with people and gossip as teens were leaving their classroom.