Documents- Considering the Evidence

Reading all the chapters gave me an idea of how our civilization started. However, as I read, my mind constantly wondered "How do they know this?"  This all happened thousands of years ago and no one was there to truly see what went on so how could they possibly know. Yes, I am a skeptic.  So at the end of each chapter they have the Documents- Considering the Evidence.  This is what I enjoyed reading most.  Each chapter had stories which helped me relate to the time and gave it a more realistic feel.  Is that what the author inteneded? Maybe. It worked for me. In the first chapter, I enjoyed the story of Nisa. I enjoyed hearing her tales of living in the bush and of how her relationship with her brother progressed.  As she told her story about her life, I felt I was there along side her learning about her culture.  She spoke of marriage and what was expected.  I did not expect her to be married as a teen,  have four husbands and numerous lovers.  When she spoke of her first husband and how much she loved him and how sad she was when she lost him, I did not expect her to blame God.  She said God is the one who destroys, not the people.  What a different perspective.  Her story was  full of life and I could sense her feelings through her words.  Out of the whole chapter, I remember her story the most because that is what I enjoyed most in Chapter 1.

In Chapter 2 they talk about the revolution of agriculture.They talk about plant and animal domestication but what I enjoyed most was the visual sources they discuss at the end in the Considering the Evidence.  This era was more than just agricultural, it was the begining of artistic innovations such as weaving, pottery, stone structures, sculptures and more realistic cave drawings that included human figures.  It was a way of recording history.  There was no writing but this was a way to communicate and pass on information from generation to generation.  They did not even know they were recording history.

In Chapter 3, the first civilizations are discussed.  It seems that as time goes on there is a heirarchy that follows. I found this chapter to be the most interesting out of the three as rules start to change, greed sets in,laws set and cities start to form. We see change in the environment too. However, what I found most intriguing to read was the Considering the Evidence section again.  I was baffled by The Law Code of Hammurabi. As I read the laws, I just found it interesting in how they used to think.  I enjoyed the Epic of Gilgamesh story as it seemed to be a lesson being taught.  I have always been a fantasy/fiction reader so I feel that I enjoy the stories more than the actual facts.  They seem to draw my attention in more and bring me closer to the people in the book.  I assume that is why Strayer writes in this form.  He needs to grab the attention of those who like to read facts and those who like to read fiction in order to explain history. Being that this is a 1000+ page book, I am grateful for his Considering the Evidence sections to keep me entrigued.