Which civilization was the world's most advanced in antiquity?

[Lithium]

What do you think? I think it's somewhat of a tie between Rome and Han Dynasty.

 

[Midas]

It is like asking who was more advanced from 456 AD until today... Many civilizations were at a peak of technology in various periods of time. Period.

 

[Theodoric]

It depends on the measure of advancement we are thinking of.

 

[sculptingman]

define what constitutes 'advanced' and the answer is easy.

 

[Guaporense]

It is like asking who was more advanced from 456 AD until today... Many civilizations were at a peak of technology in various periods of time. Period.

Actually not when we understand civilization in broader terms.

In terms of technology from 3,300 BC to 476 AD the Western Eurasian World System (Europe + Middle East) was clearly vastly more technologically advanced than other cultures in every century of this 3,800 year period.

Note that today the entire planet is a single civilization and has access to the same technology.

 

[Lithium]

Actually not when we understand civilization in broader terms.

In terms of technology from 3,300 BC to 476 AD the Western Eurasian World System (Europe + Middle East) was clearly vastly more technologically advanced than other cultures in every century of this 3,800 year period.

Note that today the entire planet is a single civilization and has access to the same technology.

I am in awe at your repeated distortion of history while claiming to your nutsack with this "Western" superiority complex. Europe was always behind Asia until the 1500's and onwards....and now they are declining.

 

[Publius Aelius Hadrianus]

I am in awe at your repeated distortion of history while claiming to your nutsack with this "Western" superiority complex. Europe was always behind Asia until the 1500's and onwards....and now they are declining.

While i do not agree with Guaporense views, yours is not accurate as well and can very well be described as "Asiatic" superiority and shows the same level of bias. Of course, you may very well be being reactionary since in your first post you said and quote: "I think it's somewhat of a tie between Rome and Han Dynasty".

Unfortunately, such threads are always below par.

 

[Lithium]

While i do not agree with Guaporense views, yours is not accurate as well and can very well be described as "Asiatic" superiority and shows the same level of bias. Of course, you may very well be being reactionary since in your first post you said and quote: "I think it's somewhat of a tie between Rome and Han Dynasty".

Unfortunately, such threads are always below par.

Probably. But I've known Guaporense for a while and I know what he really is. Most people do have some sort of bias, our little friend Guaporense just has it to an extreme degree.

 

[Lithium]

While i do not agree with Guaporense views, yours is not accurate as well and can very well be described as "Asiatic" superiority and shows the same level of bias. Of course, you may very well be being reactionary since in your first post you said and quote: "I think it's somewhat of a tie between Rome and Han Dynasty".

Unfortunately, such threads are always below par.

Probably. But I've known Guaporense for a while and I know what he really is. Most people do have some sort of bias, our little friend Guaporense just has it to an extreme degree.

 

[mansamusa]

It depends on what you mean by advanced. Ancient Egypt was the most stable and longlasting. That must count for something. The Greek and Romans in terms of military technology were much more brutally efficient but did not last nearly as long.

I think the most advanced civilization would be the one where things like literacy was the highhest. And where the average person had a right to access to the privileges of new technology which leads to a better standard of living. Ancient Egypt with its low literacy levels and rigid God-King concept does not seem to ofer thsese opportunities; however their efficicient bureaucracy assoociated with the Nile floods and vast agricultural output may have meant an easier life for the average person.

However the Greeks at least in theory with their Humanistic concepts and ideology seem to be an ideal. However relaity very often fell short of that ideal. I think the Arabs with a religion and culture based on the concept of memorizing the Koran (making it very literate) and Monotheistic humanism comes the closest to reaching that ideal. That is if arab-Islamic culture counts as antiquity.

However i must say I dont know much about other cultures such as the Persians, Chinese, Hittites ,Mesopotamia etc. and how well they reach those standards.