Advancement in Ancient Civilizations

<p> Traditional scholarship on how ancient civilizations emerged is outmoded and new insights call for revision. According to the well-established paradigm Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of civilization. Following the cliche of <I>ex oriente lux</I> (light from the East) all major achievements of humankind spread from the Middle East. Modern archaeology cultural science and historical linguistics indicate civilizations did not originate from a single prototype. Several models produced divergent patterns of advanced culture developing both hierarchical and egalitarian societies. This study outlines a panorama of ancient civilizations including the still little-known Danube civilization now identified as the oldest advanced culture in Europe. In a comparative view a new paradigm of research and a new cultural chronology of civilizations in the Old and New Worlds emerges with climate change shown to be a continual influence on human lifeways.</p>