Transcript File - Vagabond Geology

Senior University Winter 2008
Session 2
Evolving Continents, Oceans, and
God-talk about Life
Laws of Nature, Source Unknown
Which coma first: the order or the universe?
And can science ever supply an answer?
New York Times, December 18, 2007
“A law of physics is a pattern that nature obeys
without exception” Sean Carroll, Caltech cosmologist
“The most incomprehensible thing about the universe
is that it is comprehensible”
Albert Einstein
“Mathematics does not describe the universe
it is the universe”
Max Tegmark, MIT cosmologist
Division of Historic Time
Silicon Age
Modern Age
Steam Age
1950 to Present
1900 to 1950
1830 to 1950
Industrial Age
Renaissance
Middle Ages
1700 to 1830
1450 to 1700
470 to 1450
Roman Age
to 470
Iron Age
Geology & Religion Bronze Age
750
1400 to 750
3300 to 1400
Copper Age
3300 to 3000
Stone Age (end of Ice Age)10,000 to 3000
Review:
Humanid Sites: 1 million to 10,000 ybp
Yellow
Yangtze
From: Ron Redfern, 2000, Origins
Favorable Rivers: Near but not too near the Melting Glacier
The Stone Age: A Review
Stone Age
BC
AD
Stone Age: Review:
Stone Age: Review:
Stone Tools and Weapons
Topography & Soils = Tribal Areas
Clay building bricks
and
Different
Religions
Where did
the major
civilizations
flourish?
Stone
building
blocks
The Bronze Age: 3300 to 1400 BC
Stone Age
BC
AD
Bronze Hinduism
Bronze Age: Confucianism
The Bronze
Age
Judaism
Tools
and Weapons=Copper
& Tin mixture
3300 to 1300 BC
Territorial Conquests=Powerful Christianity
Nations
Advent of 3 Major Religions Islam
Where did the major civilizations flourish?
International Trade Routes Buddhism
Where were the Early Civilizations Located?
Tigris
Euphrates
Yellow
Yangtze
Indus
Nile Nile
Along major rivers!
Ganges
From: Hammond Atlas, 1972
The Bronze Age 3300 to 1300 BC: Egypt
Bronze Age
Iron
Egypt
Bronze = Copper and Tin or Arsenic
Where did early civilizations get
Copper and Tin?
From: Halley’s Bible Handbook, 1991
Possible sources for
Copper and Tin
Tin
Copper
Egypt
Bronze Age 3300 to 1300 BC
Bronze
Iron Age 1300 to 750
Iron
Egypt
Iron
Iron
Ancient Egypt had a domestic source of Iron
Iron: better tools and weapons than Bronze
Superior Weapons: Conquer Nearby Lands
Egypt: A Major Civilization along the
Flood plain of the Nile River
From: Hammond Atlas, 1972
From: Halley’s Bible Handbook, 1991
1600 to 1200 BC
Early Civilizations in the Tigris & Euphrates Flood Plain
Tigris
Euphrates
Yellow
Yangtze
Indus
Nile Nile
Along major rivers!
Ganges
From: Hammond Atlas, 1972
The Fertile Crescent &
Ancient Trade Routes
From: Aramco Handbook, 1968
Tigris Euphrates Flood Plain: (Iraq)
From: Hammond Atlas, 1972
Sumarian Civilization (Iraq)
Iron Age 1400 to 750 BC
Stone Age
Bronze
1700 to 1450 BC
Hinduism
Confucianism
The Bronze Age
3300 to 1300 BC
Judaism
Where did the major civilizations flourish?
Christianity
Islam
Buddhism
Sumerian Empire, 1700BC
Earliest in Arabian Gulf
Note: No metals in Iraq or Iran!
From: Aramco Handbook, 1968
From: Hammond Atlas, 1972
Babylonian Empire (Iraq & Iran)
Conquered by Hittites (Turkey) 1450 BC
Copper
Assyria
From: Aramco Handbook, 1968
From: Aramco Handbook, 1968
Arabian Gulf Empires conquered by
Hittites (Turks) 1450 BC (beginning of Iron Age)
Iron
Copper
Hittites
Assyria
Hittites
Assyria
From: Hammond Atlas, 1972
Bronze Age Iron
Assyrian Empire 700 BC
Moving out of the River Floodplain
into the “hills” where there are metals
Moving out of the River Floodplain
into the “hills” where there are metals
Assyrian Empire 700 BC
Median & Chaldean Empire
6th Century BC
Persian Empire: Greece to India: 5th Century
Conquered by Greeks
Now let’s look at India
Stone Age
Bronze Age Iron
Assyrian Empire 700 BC
Median & Chaldean Empire 600 BC
Persian Empire 500 BC
Indus and Ganges River Flood Plains
Hinduism: India & Pakistan
Where would you expect early civilizations?
India’s Unique Geologic History
A Collision Accident!
Mountains built by
collision with
Indian
Plate
Indian
Plate
Indian States
Early Hinduism
“Our” First Sustainable Religion
Indian States: Mature Harappan
2600 to 1700 BC
Mature
Stone Age
Bronze Age Iron
Middle to Late Bronze Age
Arabian Gulf
Empires
Mature Harappan State
2600 to 1700 BC
Indus River
Drainage Area
Mature Harappan State
2600 to 1700 BC
Iron
Possible Iron Source for
upcoming Iron Age?
Iron in the Hills
Where’s the Indus River Flood Plain?
Where is the Iron?
Indian Empires: Early Iron Age
1700 to 1300 BC
Mature
Stone Age
Bronze Age Iron
Ganges
River
Indus
River
Rise of Hinduism: 1500 BC +/A Religion Born in the Flood Plain
Mature
Stone Age
Bronze Age Iron
Hinduism
Ganges
River
Indus
River
Early Iron Age State
Early Iron Age State
No Big Iron Deposits in the
central “hills”
Indian Empires: Magadha State
5th Century BC
Mature
Stone Age
Bronze Age Iron
Indian Empires: Magadha State
5th Century BC
Note: Major Iron in the Hills”!!
“Armed” with the World’s Best
Steel, here’s what happened!!
Note: Major Iron in the Hills”!!
Indian Empire Expansion
5th to 3rd Centuries BC
Mature
Stone Age
Bronze Age Iron
The time of Damascus Steel
Hinduism: An “Iron” Sustained Religion?
Iron Age 1400 to 750 BC
Stone Age
Bronze
Hinduism
Confucianism
The Bronze Age
3300 to 1300 BC
Judaism
Where did the major civilizations flourish?
Christianity
Islam
Buddhism
Meanwhile in China:
The Rise of Confucianism
Where would you expect the early
Chinese Civilizations?
Major Rivers of China
Copper and Iron in Abundance!!
Confucianism: An “Iron” Sustained Religion?
Iron Age 1400 to 750 BC
Stone Age
Bronze
Hinduism
Confucianism
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Buddhism
Judaism: The Third Early Religion
Out of the flood plain and into the Hills!
2000 BC
Palestine: No major flood plane
hills but no metal resources!!
Judaism: A Hill Country Religion without metals
Iron Age 1400 to 750 BC
Stone Age
Bronze
Hinduism
Confucianism
Judaism
Whatever copper, tin, or iron
was used had to be traded
Christianity
Islam
Buddhism
Next Week: Session 3
Greek Civilization: out of the flood plain
Roman Civilization: “
“
Christianity
Mohammad: Damascus Steel
St. Augustine on Genesis
Agricula; 1st geology textbook
Luther on Genesis
Ussher on Earth’s age
From: Ron Blakey, 2000 with permission
From E. A. Keller, 1996, Environmental Geology
From: S.M. Stanley,1999, Earth System History,
From: Hammond Atlas, 1972
From: Ron Redfern, 2000, Origins
From: Halley’s Bible Handbook, 1991
From: Aramco Handbook, 1968