Plato Prehistorian: 10,000 to 5000 B.C. : Myth, Religion, ArchaeologyIn his Timaeus and Critias dialogues, Plato wrote of two ancient civilizations that flourished more than 9000 years before his time. Socrates accepted the account as true, and modern archaeological techniques may yet prove him right. In a synthesis of classical and archaeological scholarship, Mary Settegast takes us from the cave paintings of Lascaux to the shrines of Catal Huyuk, demonstrating correspondences both to Plato's tale and to the mystery religions of antiquity. She then traces the mid-seventh millennium impulse that revitalized the spiritual life of Catal Huyuk and spread agriculture from Iran to the Greek peninsula -- at precisely the time given by Aristotle for the legendary Persian prophet Zarathustra, for whom cultivation of the earth was a religious imperative. |
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already Anatolia ancient animal appear archaeology architecture associated Atlantic believed building bull Çatal Hüyük cave ceramics compared Critias cult culture dates described designs domestic earlier earliest early earth east eastern Egypt Egyptian Europe evidence example excavator existence fact figure fire forms goddess gods Greece Greek groups Halafian heads human important included Iran Iranian island Italy Jericho Knossos known land late later Level living Magdalenian means Mediterranean Mellaart millennium B.C. mountains myth nature Neolithic noted obsidian origin painted Paleolithic perhaps period Persian phase plain Plato's Poseidon possible pottery present priest prophet recorded region religion remains represent round seems settlement shrines similar sixth millennium stone story suggested Tell Tepe thousand Timaeus traditions Upper villages wall wares western Zagros Zarathustra Zeus