"Generations Since..." : A Technology Chronology
"... a reminder of our place in the human timeline."
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This article is a reminder of our place in the human timeline.
A 'generation' in this article refers to a 'family' generation - a parent is of one, their children of the next - typically lasting 20 to 30 years. This is different from a 'social' generation - a sociological concept based on shared experiences - which lasts 15-20 years.
This article assumes a generation lasts 25 years.
There are two sections of this article.
The first is a timeline of technological developments.
The second is a timeline of major works of writing.
Neither section is exhaustive.
This article is a living document.
Technology
There have been...
About 17,281 generations since the earliest evidence of archaic humans engaging in ritual burial of the dead at the Sima de los Huesos, Spain (~430,000 BC).
About 11,400 generations since the earliest known processing of pigment occurred at the GnJh-03 Site, Kenya (~283,000 BC).
About 2,920 generations since the oldest known abstract drawing was created at Blombos Cave, South Africa (~72,000 BC). It is one compelling early evidence for the emergence of symbolic thinking.
About 2,800 generations since the oldest estimates of when Homo Sapiens began migrating out of Africa, interbreeding with Neanderthals and Denisovans, and establishing themselves as the dominant hominin species (~58,000–68,000 BC).
About 1,041 generations since the earliest evidence of human settlements at Předmostí u Přerova in Moravia (~24,000 BC).
About 481 generations since the earliest evidence of agriculture and animal husbandry, city-like settlements, the formalization of social leadership and hierarchies, and the use of 'shell' proto-currencies and trade networks, all in the Fertile Crescent (~10,000 BC).
About 465 generations since the earliest evidence of monumental construction, itself evidence for large-scale cooperation, at Göbekli Tepe (~9600 BC).
About 401 generations since the earliest known calendar, a series of pits arranged to track the lunar months and seasons, was dug in Northern Britain (~8000 BC).
About 321 generations since the discovery of copper smelting was fully harnessed in Mesopotamia (~6000–5000 BC).
About 301 generations since the earliest evidence of sailing ships in Mesopotamia (~5500 BC).
About 221 generations since the earliest evidence of the invention of the wheel in Uruk, Mesopotamia (~3500 BC).
About 217 generations since the invention of writing in Mesopotamia (~3400 BC).
About 165 generations since the inscribing of the earliest copy of the oldest known law code - the Code of Ur-Nammu, in Nippur, Mesopotamia (~2100-2050 BC).
About 141 generations since the first known phonetic alphabet was developed by the Phoenicians, on the coasts of the Fertile Crescent (~1500 BC).
About 105 generations since the earliest evidence of a standardized, state-backed 'true' currency in Lydia, an Iron Age kingdom in Asia Minor (~600 BC).
About 89 generations since the earliest documented use of a compass in Han Dynasty China (~200 BC).
About 80 generations since the invention of the first true papermaking process in Han Dynasty China (25–220 AD).
About 49 generations since a formulation for weaponized gunpowder in Tang Dynasty China (808 AD).
About 30 generations since the first mechanical clocks in Italy and England (~1277–1286 AD).
About 23 generations since the invention of the printing press in Mainz, of the Holy Roman Empire (1440 AD).
About 10 generations since the development of the modern steam engine in Glasgow and Birmingham, of the Kingdom of Great Britain (1776 AD).
About 6 generations since the development of the modern internal combustion engine in Deutz, Germany (1876 AD) and the lightbulb in Menlo Park, New Jersey, USA (1879 AD).
About 4 generations since the discovery of antibiotics in London, of the United Kingdom (1928 AD).
About 3 generations since the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin, Germany (1938 AD), since the launch of the first space-faring rocket in Germany(1944 AD), and since the development of the first digital computer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (1945 AD).
About 2 generations since humans first explored space (~1960 AD) and since the development of ARPANET under the USA, the earliest form of the internet (1969 AD).
About 1 generation since the development of the World Wide Web (1991 AD) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Writing
A 'true' writing system satisfies three criteria.
- It communicates meaning.
- It uses agreed-upon symbols which can be recorded on some medium and has rules for how to use them.
- Generally, it corresponds to a spoken language.
These criteria distinguish writing from symbolic communication - signage, painting, maps, mathematics.
Four independent inventions of writing are most commonly recognized:
In Mesopotamia, around 3400–3100 BC. The Sumerians developed cuneiform script.
In Egypt, by approximately 3250 BC. The Egyptians created hieroglyphic writing, a system of pictorial symbols representing sounds and concepts.
In China, before 1250 BC. The earliest Chinese writing appeared on oracle bones, used for divination during the Shang dynasty.
In Mesoamerica, prior to 1AD. Civilizations such as the Olmecs and later the Maya developed unique writing systems, with the Maya script being the most fully developed.
An ancient Sumerian poem gives the first known story of the invention of writing:
Because the messenger's mouth was heavy and he couldn't repeat (the message), the Lord of Kulaba patted some clay and put words on it, like a tablet. Until then, there had been no putting words on clay.
'Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta' (c. 1800 BC)
Perspective
Let’s assume that true writing was created around the earliest estimate, the year 3400 BC. That’s 5425 years ago.
There have been...
About 217 generations since the earliest invention of writing in Mesopotamia. The earliest existing physical pieces of writing were used for economic record-keeping.
About 185 generations since the earliest copies of The Instructions of Shuruppak - moral and practical wisdom attributed to a Sumerian king - and the Kesh Temple Hymn, also the 'Liturgy to Nintud on the creation of man and woman' (~2600 BC). They are the earliest existing pieces of literature.
About 177 generations since the earliest known inscriptions of The Pyramid Texts (~2400 BC), the ancient Egyptian texts inscribed to guide pharaohs in the afterlife.
About 165 generations since the earliest written copy of The Epic of Gilgamesh (~2100 BC), also known as Surpassing All Other Kings or He Who Sees the Deep/Unknown.
About 165 generations since the inscribing of the earliest copy of the oldest known law code - the Code of Ur-Nammu, in Nippur, Mesopotamia (~2100-2050 BC).
About 151 generations since the composition of the Code of Hammurabi, the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East (~1754 BC).
About 143 generations since the traditional dating of The Book of the Dead (~1550 BC), a series of spells and instructions used in Ancient Egypt to guide souls through the afterlife.
About 141 generations since the earliest estimates for the writing-down (~1500–1000 BC) of the oldest sections of the 'Old Testament' or 'Tanakh': the first five books—the Torah—and the Book of Job.
About 141 generations since the compilation of The Rigveda (~1500 BC), a foundational text of Hinduism.
About 129 generations since the earliest portions of The Avesta (~1200 BC), the sacred scriptures of Zoroastrianism.
About 125 generations since the estimated writing of The Enuma Elish (~1100 BC), the Babylonian creation myth detailing the origins of the world and the gods.
About 113 generations since The Iliad and The Odyssey (~800 - 700 BC), attributed to Homer, were composed. The earliest surviving written copies are from the 3rd century BC.
About 100 generations since earliest start to the estimated period of composition of The Analects, a collection of sayings attributed to Confucius (~475–200 BC).
About 77 generations since the completion of the Book of Revelation (~95-100 AD), the newest text of the New Testament.
About 56 generations since final standardized compilation of the Quran (650 AD).
About 13 generations since the Guru Granth Sahib - the Sikh holy book - was finalized and declared the eternal Guru of the Sikhs (1708 AD).
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