From the Stars More than 12,000 years ago humans

From the Stars

More than 12,000 years ago humans spent a great deal of their time hunting for food and harvesting from the plants around them. All they ate they had to hunt for or gather from the wild. They did not keep their own cattle or grow their own food. But, between 7,000 to 12,000 years ago mankind began to settle in small communities. They began to farm and raise herds.

Then, about 5000 years ago those small communities began to organise themselves and this was the beginning of civilisation as we know it today. Because people stayed in the same place and farmed they had more time to think and observe what was around them and one of the most important things they needed to know about was how to measure time and know where in the annual cycle they were. When would it be best to plant crops or to expect rain in dry climates? They began to use the phases of the sun, moon and stars to help them keep track of time. For example, the Egyptians were able to tell when the Nile was due to flood by studying the dog star (Sirius). Time was central to the cycle of life so it was crucial to be able to 'control' the calendar. They needed symbols to count the days and phases of the moon and to communicate with others.