City States and how they arose

[Nearly Sane]

Interesting review of book laying out the newer perceptions on the growth of city states, and combining it with a review of book on the San Bushmen and what has happened to them as their way of life has become restricted. Not sure that the parallels the writer draws between the two books are justified. Also I am sceptical about the idea of the San as tapping into to some nobler time in an echo of Rousseau.


https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23631462-700-the-real-roots-of-early-city-states-may-rip-up-the-textbooks/

[Anchorman]

Warning: I'm gonna mention Egypt......

Around 3300 BC, these Levantine and Mespotamian towns - and really, that's all they were at this point - started a trade culture, and the nascant Nile Valley states (three of them) got involved, sharing ideas on pottery, writing and archetecture.
There would probably have been no need to expand these statelets' territories - or create walled cities at all - had Egypt not unified around 3100 BC.
The resultant power of the world's first nation state forced the tradinf towns to unite in culture and diplomacy, forming the first, albeit tenuous, Babylonian civilisation, as a hub for trade with Egypt, and probably for defence as well.
As time went on, the need for alliances and defensive measures forced many of these statelets to coalesce into nations in their own right.
Probably Egypt's greatest contribution to society was inadvertant - the concept of nationhood.

[Walter]

 A very interesting read there NS . Thank you
I wonder at what point religion started to ruin things ?

[Anchorman]

Hmmmmm......
Depends on what you mean by 'religion'.
The Nabta Playa 'cattle culture' certainly had some form or religious/ritual outlook on things from around c9000 BC.
How far back do you want to go?