Jack Zaikos > Recent Status Updates

Imagine if the Hittites could have passed down the throne amicably… they would’ve been unstoppable

Also poor Syria being the go to location for military campaigns for the entire length of the kingdoms history

Crazy how suppiliuma inserted his son into a position of authority at carchimesh and his lineage outlasted the empire there!

Chap 6 foreign merchants and native states

The records of commerce at kultepe kanesh provide a comprehensive picture of the lifestyles of merchants and traders as well as what economics looked like in this period. The idea that every day items would become so valuable at reconstructing what life was like many Millenia later is crazy. The writers never would’ve guessed.

End of chap 5

Interesting to know how rich turkey was in precious metals. It makes sense that they would be the first to innovate metallurgy to the extent that they did.

I wish the book spoke more about the numinous nature of the mining and the earth that was briefly touched on (the ore being a seed, the furnace a womb)

Never thought about the difference between class A and B animal products and the effortBneeds

So. Much. Pottery.

What I find probably the most interesting about the chronology is that civilisations and settlements that were greatly successful for periods of 500 years become footnotes in the larger historical context… really makes you think about our current society and cities.

Interesting to learn about the influence of Uruk.

Archaeologists seem to have an impossible task of discerning the nature of the cultural expansion without a written record like those of the assyrians.

Having said that the relationship between the religion, goods and politics of Uruk seem to have combined to work to inseminate its influence across a great area of land.

This book feels very Mesopotamia focused.

The reality of obsidian trade in the pre pottery Neolithic is fascinating given it was moving distances of 150km

Although this wouldn’t have been in one long journey and instead through various communities that distance is very long in a time without trains, planes or cars…

Very interesting how we see an abandoning of large cities towards the end of this period due to how unsafe these settlements were as targe

Super surprising to find how advanced architecture had become before the use of pottery… I assumed that pottery would proceed complex architectural practices. I was wrong

Also the sites of Nevali Cori and Gobekli were fascinating! Oldest temples in the world at 10,000 + years!! WOW

Just finished the second chapter “earliest arrivals”

The content can be superrrrr heavy but the general ideas are interesting,

I especially enjoyed the end of the chapter that discussed rock art and shamanistic experiences

Wow…

Finished the undiscovered self

Some real pearls of wisdom in here

I don’t know if I’ll ever get my fill of Jung despite all that he’s written

So impressed by Jung as always

His comparison of our inherent understating of the psyche (or lack there of) to our inherent understanding of the body is fascinating.

His suggestions as to what creates the capacity for mass mindedness and for the current of thought to be swept away from us at times most crucial are inspired.

The historical contents of his experience make his suggestions all the more interesting

Liked the examples of Roman emperors who were dispatched or successful