Human evolution/development

[BrianW]

Christianity made us go backwards.

Hmm, Saxons and Vikings did not have the technology.

But in later medieval times, many monasteries and royal residences had what we would recognise as plumbing. Richard II had a bath with hot and cold running water at Sheen in the late 14th Century.

Of course, it took a long time for your average pleb to get such luxuries. But your average pleb preferred to spend his money on ale and cabbage soup.

 

[urban genie]

Religion was 100% the cause of the Dark Ages. No new state power stepped up after the Romans and religion swooped in to idiot everything for a thousand years. It’s looking to do the same again right now.

Life repeats itself in cycles

 

[metalblue]

We’re the only species to have ever evolved on desire not need.

 

[AlexWilliamsGloves]

Did society regress after the Roman Empire? - Geographic Pedia

As a Concierge, I often find myself answering questions and providing information about various historical topics to guests. One topic that frequently comes up is the decline of the Roman Empire and its impact on society. Many people wonder if society regressed after the fall of the Roman...

www.ncesc.com

The decline of the Roman Empire did indeed lead to significant disruptions in trade, infrastructure, and governance across Europe. With the collapse of a centralized authority, many technological and organizational advancements that had been supported by the empire fell into disrepair. However, it is important to note that the idea that society went backwards after the fall of the Roman Empire is a bit of a historical misconception.

Was society essentially the same at the end as it was in the beginning? More than is popularly let on. The fall of the Roman Empire did bring about significant changes to society. One of the most notable changes was the development of a new social and political system known as feudalism. As a result of the invasions and a weak central government, strong local lords formed a strict code of behavior and allegiances which became the foundation of feudal life.

However, it is also essential to recognize that the impact of the Roman Empire on society was far from negative. Though it has been thousands of years since the Roman Empire flourished, we can still see evidence of its influence in various aspects of our lives today. From our art, architecture, technology, literature, language, and even our legal systems, the ancient Romans have left their mark on our world.

But what about Britain? Did it regress after the Romans left? Everything “regressed” after the Romans left Britain in 410 CE. The Roman Britons might have run the place tolerably well. But then the barbarian Anglo-Saxons, Jutes, and Frisians showed up, beginning in the 450s. A two-century bloodbath between them and the native Britons followed. The withdrawal of the Roman forces left a power vacuum that led to the disruption of governance and infrastructure in Britain.

Additionally, the loss of a centralized authority after the fall of the Roman Empire led to increased vulnerability to invasions and raids. On the beneficial side, though, the fall of Rome paved the way for the development of new political, social, and economic structures that eventually evolved into the medieval and modern European societies. The collapse of the Roman Empire was both detrimental and transformative for society

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Did society regress after the Roman Empire? - Geographic Pedia

As a Concierge, I often find myself answering questions and providing information about various historical topics to guests. One topic that frequently comes up is the decline of the Roman Empire and its impact on society. Many people wonder if society regressed after the fall of the Roman...

www.ncesc.com

The decline of the Roman Empire did indeed lead to significant disruptions in trade, infrastructure, and governance across Europe. With the collapse of a centralized authority, many technological and organizational advancements that had been supported by the empire fell into disrepair. However, it is important to note that the idea that society went backwards after the fall of the Roman Empire is a bit of a historical misconception.

Was society essentially the same at the end as it was in the beginning? More than is popularly let on. The fall of the Roman Empire did bring about significant changes to society. One of the most notable changes was the development of a new social and political system known as feudalism. As a result of the invasions and a weak central government, strong local lords formed a strict code of behavior and allegiances which became the foundation of feudal life.

However, it is also essential to recognize that the impact of the Roman Empire on society was far from negative. Though it has been thousands of years since the Roman Empire flourished, we can still see evidence of its influence in various aspects of our lives today. From our art, architecture, technology, literature, language, and even our legal systems, the ancient Romans have left their mark on our world.

But what about Britain? Did it regress after the Romans left? Everything “regressed” after the Romans left Britain in 410 CE. The Roman Britons might have run the place tolerably well. But then the barbarian Anglo-Saxons, Jutes, and Frisians showed up, beginning in the 450s. A two-century bloodbath between them and the native Britons followed. The withdrawal of the Roman forces left a power vacuum that led to the disruption of governance and infrastructure in Britain.

Additionally, the loss of a centralized authority after the fall of the Roman Empire led to increased vulnerability to invasions and raids. On the beneficial side, though, the fall of Rome paved the way for the development of new political, social, and economic structures that eventually evolved into the medieval and modern European societies. The collapse of the Roman Empire was both detrimental and transformative for society

Ok, apart from the roads, the sewerage systems, the art, architecture, technology, literature, language, and even the legal systems, what have the Romans ever done for us….,.,


Sorry! It was waiting to be said.


Incidentally, we never let them in over this side of the Irish Sea and some may think we are still catching up.

 

[halfcenturyup]

Ok, apart from the roads, the sewerage systems, the art, architecture, technology, literature, language, and even the legal systems, what have the Romans ever done for us….,.,


Sorry! It was waiting to be said.


Incidentally, we never let them in over this side of the Irish Sea and some may think we are still catching up.

Terrific race, the Romans ..... terrific.

 

[Kompany Car]

Christianity made us go backwards.

Its a very sweeping statement which ignores the fact that organised religion did lead to the use of Latin throughout western Europe which provided the basis for the reformation and enlightenment. The use of a common language to capture and share information allowed scientists to build upon previous work.

Religion also resulted in detailed astronomical observations which helped not only navigation to further develop but also crop rotation which resulted in higher production from the available land.

Finally without religion, feudalism would not have happened which led to a more structured society and ultimately nation states. Slavery was generally replaced with serfdom with smaller settlements outside of big cities being afforded protection via allegiances.

To say religion set us back would be wrong, what it did was eventually create some stability after the collapse of the most powerful civilization the western world had known to that point.

Its worthwhile noting that during this time the middle east was rapidly advancing particularly in the areas of science and mathematics. So whilst it was the dark ages for us in western Europe, Islam did provide the foundation for science over there.

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

Its a very sweeping statement which ignores the fact that organised religion did lead to the use of Latin throughout western Europe which provided the basis for the reformation and enlightenment. The use of a common language to capture and share information allowed scientists to build upon previous work.

Religion also resulted in detailed astronomical observations which helped not only navigation to further develop but also crop rotation which resulted in higher production from the available land.

Finally without religion, feudalism would not have happened which led to a more structured society and ultimately nation states. Slavery was generally replaced with serfdom with smaller settlements outside of big cities being afforded protection via allegiances.

To say religion set us back would be wrong, what it did was eventually create some stability after the collapse of the most powerful civilization the western world had known to that point.

Its worthwhile noting that during this time the middle east was rapidly advancing particularly in the areas of science and mathematics. So whilst it was the dark ages for us in western Europe, Islam did provide the foundation for science over there.

Your last paragraph is really the crux of it for me. I don’t think people appreciate the fragmentation of human knowledge in history. The Minoans had a writing system in Europe before 1400BC but then it was lost during the Bronze Age collapse for basically something like 700 years until the Greeks starting writing again.

It wasn’t sufficient to invent something just once back then. There wasn’t some information highway where everybody was synced up with the latest tech. Different regions of the same continent could be at different levels of technological advancement. The Chinese had some inventions thousands of years before they reached us.

As a result the advancement of humanity wasn’t so much an upward curve as it was a kind of undulating incline which would sometimes go up quicker and sometimes it would level out for a while. It wasn’t really until the advent of truly global trade in the Industrial Revolution that we started to really share and preserve knowledge as a species.

 

[Vienna_70]

Ok, apart from the roads, the sewerage systems, the art, architecture, technology, literature, language, and even the legal systems, what have the Romans ever done for us….,.,


Sorry! It was waiting to be said.


Incidentally, we never let them in over this side of the Irish Sea and some may think we are still catching up.

We never let them into Cornwall, either.

But the Cornish are by far the most intelligent people.

; -)

 

[KS55]

We never let them into Cornwall, either.

But the Cornish are by far the most intelligent people.

; -)

We are.
The mancs defeated the Danes and kept out danelaw. The softie yorkists just succumbed.