Syria is the embodiment of civilization
Ages
ago, the man lived in Syria and left behind many evidences and
material traces which nowadays show his past activities and
existence. The human skeletons discovered so far go back to 100
thousand years ago, whereas some archeological remains are prior to
150 thousand years ago. Syria can be considered the region of
domesticating wheal, inventing pottery and discovering minerals
which are some of prehistoric man most important achievements.
Therefore, historians describe Syria as the extract of history. The
first alphabet in the world (Ugarit alphabet) was created on her
beaches near Lattakia , became the mother of all known alphabets and
had profound effect in spreading science and culture among human
kind. That is why Syria is one of the greatest gains for humanity.
Moreover, Damascus the most ancient still existing city on earth is
one of Syria cities.
Syria
through ages
You
are in Syria, then you are where the history has a voice and the
earth has fragrance of civilizations. Her plains are not like other
plains, nor her mountains or deserts. Just turn a stone or a whit of
earth in it and you would find a thousand of talking history. No
sooner had you recall a place on its land, than glory stories shine
in front of your eyes and the memories of the whole of creative
human perseverance, since the first existence of man , crowd
together: Mary, Eibla, Habboba, Ugarit, Kadish, Amrit, Afamia, Dora
orobos, Palmyra, Busra, Shahba, Arrasafah, etc. Have you ever heard
about Al-hariri hill? A kingdom of splendid civilization – (Mary
kingdom) – was found only after a few meters of digging in it. Have
you ever heard about Mardikh hill? Also a few meters digging and
Eible kingdom – a prosperous metropolis that has fascinated
researchers and discoverers up till now, was found.
What is
more? Ras Al-Shamrah hill where (Ugarit) the metropolis which had
been a source of culture and education for all humanity, was found.
Moreover,
Halaf hill? Ahmar hill? Al-khuwairah hill? Arramad hill? Sokas
hill? Large Habbouba hill? Hills …. Hills… that hide in their wombs
kingdoms, palaces and cities as the shells hide pearls and corals.
Therefore,
the plains of Syria are not like other plains and the hills are not
like other hills! Since the most marvelous civilizations have come
into existence on the land of Syria, and the man in it has created
achievements which still confer a benefit upon the mankind up till
now. The remains of this far period of humanity life are still
scattered everywhere in Syria. The mineral civilization began in (Halaf
hill) on the banks of Al-khabour river. The inventions and
achievements have followed one another since the third millennium
BC:
On the
banks of the Euphrates, there were palaces and drawings
in ( Mary) kingdom which had a memorable commercial and
cultural boom. On the Syrian beach there was (Ugarit) kingdom which
offered its miraculous creation to the humanity: the first alphabet
in the world. Furthermore, the largest and most splendid documentary
library was found in the royal palace of( Eibla ) kingdom. The
function of this library was to arrange commerce, diplomacy,
industry affairs and war and peace relations with other kingdoms, as
the supreme authority and influence of Eibla extended from Al-Anadol
mountains north till Sinna` south and (Akad) kingdom east. Eibla was
also very famous for two important industries: silken textiles
embroidered with golden threads and engraved wood inlaid with ivory
and shells.
Syria today
does not consider herself mere a large multifarious museum or a land
on which the traces of civilizations accumulate one over the other.
Undoubtedly, she is proud of her deep-rooted, rich and numerous
heritages. However, she does not want to be fossilized in the past.
She aims at making her glorious past an incitive forward and looking
up to the future to race time and has her decent position under the
sun.
General History through archeological discoveries
Syria
prehistory during Stone Ages: The ancient Baliolit Stone Age in
Syria started a million year ago and ended in 12 thousand B.C.
Whereas the intermediary Stone Age lasted from 12 thousand B.C till
8 thousand BC which was the beginning of the pre-pottery Modern
Stone Age which lasted until the sixth thousand B.C. Then the
Pottery Age began and lasted until the fourth thousand B.C.
We can see
the oldest location of the ancient Stone Age in the bed of Nahr
Alkabeer Alshamali- the northern large river. This location goes
back to a million year. Whereas, the ancient monuments of this age
can be seen in Orontes basin, but they go back to a half million
year. In the west of Al-latamnah- in the north of Hamah, a location
of this age has been found. This location is considered one of the
rarest and most important sites in the world as the antiquities of a
human camp have been found in the bed of the river preserved within
a layer of sand and alluvium. These antiquities include stone
instruments such as : axes, choppers, and scrapers. consequently, it
has become clear that the man used fire.
In Yabrood,
there are caverns which have unfolded the traces and antiquities of
the old man who was well-known for his nomadic life. Human groups or
communities had lived successively in these grottoes in the course
of fifty thousand years . They spread through Syria and used new
stone instruments that were found in Al-Kom in the desert in springs
whereabouts. Then the Nyandir Tal man appeared and became more
civilized as he was a skillful sculptor who utilized bones in making
some instruments. He also availed himself of striking fire, used the
colors of earth to adorn himself and his tools and had special rites
to bury the dead.
The
rational man, who is the immediate ancestor of the present-day man,
lived 40 thousand years B.C .
You
are in Syria, then you are
where the history has a voice and the earth has fragrance of
civilizations. Her plains are not like other plains, nor her
mountains or deserts. Just turn a stone or a whit of earth in it
and you would find a thousand of talking history.
