Hortensia de los Santos

A Reassessment of Civilization's Origins

Investigating the Indus Valley Civilization as Humanity's First Urban Culture

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Abstract

The prevailing academic consensus places the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia around 4000 BCE with the emergence of Sumer.

However, recent archaeological, geological, and mythological evidence suggests that civilization may have begun much earlier in the Indian subcontinent, possibly in now-submerged coastal regions that existed before the post-glacial flooding events around 10,000 BCE.

This paper proposes a paradigm shift, hypothesizing that the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) may have been the world's first major civilization, and that its population, displaced by climate changes and rising sea levels, migrated northwestward into Iran, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia, possibly contributing to the establishment of sites like Göbekli Tepe (9600 BCE) and influencing early Sumerian civilization.

We will analyze the geological evidence of post-glacial flooding, potential cultural and religious parallels between the Vedic tradition and Mesopotamian myths, and explore underwater archaeological sites that could suggest older civilizations pre-dating Sumer. Additionally, we will address counterarguments, including the lack of direct evidence and linguistic discrepancies.

1. Introduction

1.1 The Traditional View of Civilization's Origins
• Mainstream archaeology holds that civilization arose in Mesopotamia, with the first cities emerging around 4000 BCE and the Sumerians developing the earliest writing system around 3100 BCE.
• Göbekli Tepe, dated to 9600 BCE, is often considered an anomaly; an advanced construction built by pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers.
1.2 However, this view is challenged by increasing evidence of earlier organized societies, particularly in the Indian subcontinent.
• Studies of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) indicate that by 7000 BCE (Mehrgarh), settlements already displayed urban planning, standardization, and complex rituals, suggesting a much older civilization.
• Furthermore, post-glacial sea level rise around 10,000 BCE may have submerged key evidence, leading to the possibility that pre-IVC cultures influenced early Mesopotamia and Anatolia.
This paper examines whether the IVC, or its predecessor cultures, played a role in shaping Göbekli Tepe, Mesopotamian society, and early urban development.

2. Geological and Climatic Evidence of Lost Civilizations

2.1 The Younger Dryas and Post-Glacial Sea Level Rise
• The Younger Dryas event (12,900 to 11,700 BCE) was a period of abrupt cooling, followed by a rapid warming phase that caused glacial melt and dramatic sea level rise.
• Studies show that between 10,000 and 6000 BCE, global sea levels rose over 100 meters, submerging vast portions of India's coastline, the Persian Gulf, and parts of Southeast Asia.
• The Indian subcontinent's now-submerged river deltas (such as the lost Saraswati River) may have hosted early civilizations, which were forced to migrate inland or northward as sea levels rose.
2.2 The Persian Gulf and the "Lost Civilization" Hypothesis
• The Persian Gulf was largely dry before 10,000 BCE, forming a fertile valley that could have supported early civilizations.
• As sea levels rose, this region flooded, forcing migrations northwest into Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and the Iranian Plateau.

This suggests that the early settlers of Mesopotamia may not have been indigenous but rather displaced populations from an advanced culture now submerged.

3. Göbekli Tepe as a Post-Catastrophe Culture

3.1 Anomalies in Göbekli Tepe's Construction
• Dated to 9600 BCE, Göbekli Tepe predates agriculture but shows advanced stone-working techniques and astronomical alignment.
• The site was intentionally buried around 8000 BCE, raising questions about whether its builders were preserving cultural knowledge following a catastrophe (such as rising seas).
• The lack of precursor structures suggests its builders came from a displaced, already-developed civilization rather than evolving locally from hunter-gatherers.
3.2 Possible Connection to Indus Valley Proto-Civilization
• If the Indus region hosted an advanced culture pre-10,000 BCE, its survivors could have migrated north, bringing knowledge of megalithic construction and symbolic traditions to Anatolia.
• Common motifs between Indus and Göbekli Tepe carvings, such as zoomorphic figures and sacred animals, suggest possible cultural transmission.

(A version of this theory appears in my novel Sent Back Across Time and Space.) [Read more]

4. Mythological Parallels Between the Vedas and Mesopotamian Texts

4.1 Flood Myths: A Memory of Post-Glacial Migration?
• The Vedic flood story (Manu and the Fish) closely parallels the Mesopotamian flood myths (Atrahasis, Gilgamesh, Noah's Ark).
• In both, a chosen individual receives divine warning, builds a boat, and survives a global deluge.
• If these stories originate from actual post-glacial flooding events, they could represent cultural memories of the same civilization experiencing a catastrophic migration.
4.2 Vedic and Sumerian Religious Similarities
• Rta (Vedic cosmic law) and Me (Sumerian divine decrees) both represent pre-existing divine orders that sustain civilization.
• The Vedic thunder god Indra and Sumerian storm god Enlil have similar roles in shaping and maintaining order.
• The Vedic goddess Saraswati (linked to rivers and wisdom) parallels Sumerian Nisaba, associated with writing and water.
• Devas in Hinduism as guardians of cosmic order while in Zoroastrianims they are malevolent spirits.

5. Counterarguments and Challenges

5.1 Lack of Direct Archaeological Evidence
• No large urban ruins older than 7000 BCE have been found in the IVC region.
• However, underwater structures off India's coast (Dwarka, Gulf of Khambhat) suggest older settlements exist but remain unexplored.
5.2 Linguistic Discrepancies
• The Sumerian language is a linguistic isolate, showing no direct connection to Sanskrit or Dravidian languages.
• However, linguistic evolution over thousands of years could obscure early connections.
5.3 Alternative Explanations for Göbekli Tepe
• Some argue it was built by local hunter-gatherers transitioning to agriculture rather than displaced civilization-builders.
• However, this does not explain its advanced construction techniques without clear local precursors.

6. Conclusion: A Need for Further Exploration

The Indus Valley Civilization, or its predecessor cultures, may have been the earliest known urban society, predating Mesopotamia.
• Post-glacial flooding could have submerged key evidence, forcing migrations northwest into Mesopotamia and Anatolia.
• Göbekli Tepe, rather than being an isolated anomaly, may represent a survivor culture preserving knowledge from an earlier civilization lost to rising seas.
• Mythological parallels, flood narratives, and religious similarities further support cultural transmission from the Indian subcontinent to Mesopotamia.

Recommendations for Future Research

• Underwater excavations in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Bay of Bengal to locate pre-8000 BCE settlements.
• Genetic studies tracing pre-Sumerian migration from South Asia.
• Comparative linguistic analysis of early Indus and Mesopotamian inscriptions.

If proven, this theory reshapes the history of human civilization, placing its origins in the Indian subcontinent long before Mesopotamia.