The hottest Civilizations Substack posts right now

Merchants used to work for kings and leaders, getting luxury goods for them. Over time, trade changed to focus on profit rather than just serving powerful rulers.
As trade expanded, merchants started catering to smaller clients. This shift led to more diverse trading networks and a wider variety of goods available.
Cities grew as places of commerce, not just government. Instead of being mainly for rulers, urban areas became important for trade and economic activity.

Cybele was a very ancient mother goddess from Asia Minor, worshipped with wild and intense rituals, including bloodletting and self-castration by her priests.
The Greeks and later Romans adopted and adapted Cybele's worship, blending her with their own deities and transforming her image from a fierce nature goddess to a more subdued Roman matriarch.
Cybele's story reflects the complex views of womanhood in ancient cultures, showcasing everything from wild sexuality to dignified motherhood.

Ethiopia is unique in Africa due to its rich history, diverse cultures, and genetic diversity. It has a mix of influences from both Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.
The country's geographical features, like its highlands, have helped preserve its independence and distinct cultural identity over centuries. This has made Ethiopia a symbol of resistance against colonialism.
Ethiopian genetic studies show a complex ancestry that includes both African and Eurasian elements. This makes Ethiopians distinct from other populations, emphasizing their unique place in human history.

Spengler's work on Ancient Asia was a significant focus of his, but much of it remains untranslated into English, limiting its accessibility.
Spengler had a deep interest in cartography and envisioned a new approach to universal history through the interaction of civilizations, highlighted in his sketch 'Altasien'.
Spengler's plans for a series of articles on prehistory, including 'Ancient Asia', were cut short by his premature death, leaving many of his works and ideas unfinished.

The Spenglerian Theory views cultures as living organisms with predictable life cycles of growth, decay, and ultimate demise.
Spengler critiques the conventional classification of history and introduces a Copernican system that treats all cultures as equal, focusing on eight distinct high cultures.
In each culture's life cycle, distinct stages emerge such as youth, maturity, decline, and the transition to civilization, marked by shifts in power, philosophy, religion, and societal structures.

Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

The Turks had a unique approach to conquest, assimilating the cultures of those they conquered instead of destroying them.
Turkic influence spanned over 1,500 years across vast territories, impacting cultures from Europe to China.
Turks played a significant role in shaping Eurasian culture, spread Islam, and extended civilization rather than causing decline.

The shift from gatherer-hunter lifestyles to farming and domestication of animals may have contributed to the emergence of enduring economic inequality.
Increased civilizational complexity led to a rise in potential wealth inequalities, possibly through factors like tools, farm implements, domesticated animals, serfdom, and slavery.
Exploring the dimensions of wealth acquisition and accumulation, such as tools, farmstead implements, animals, serfdom, and slavery, can help understand the expansion of possible wealth inequalities.

Many important historical discoveries come from things that were discarded or damaged. This shows how lucky historians are when they find these pieces of the past.
Sometimes, tragic events lead to amazing finds. For example, when fires burned clay tablets, they were preserved instead of destroyed, giving us insight into ancient civilizations.
Items thought to be worthless or trash can turn out to be incredibly valuable. Old manuscripts and documents that were nearly lost have changed our understanding of history significantly.

The notion of saving the world involves a complex interplay between biological and temporal scopes
Different types of saviors are motivated by varying definitions of what constitutes the 'world' worth saving
There is an evolving concept of saving the world that involves rewilding the modern technological landscape

The emergence of cities in the Bronze Age was closely linked to the trade of bronze, which required both tin and copper.
Trade networks centered around metals played a crucial role in the formation and growth of early urban centers.
The end of the Bronze Age and the shift to the Iron Age saw changes in trade dynamics, leading to the collapse of civilizations and the rise of new economic systems.

Euro-centrism has led to the unjust attribution of architectural and technological wonders to white Europeans, undermining the achievements of other civilizations.
The propagation of Euro-centric narratives, such as the idea of aliens building ancient wonders, harms the recognition of the true creators and their agency in history.
Academia and education systems need to address and move away from Euro-centric histories in order to respect the contributions and cultures of diverse civilizations worldwide.