Sat, Oct 4 · 4:00 PM AEST
Join us for an evening of exploration into one of humanity’s most profound transitions—the birth of civilisation. From scattered bands of foragers to the rise of cities, writing, and law, this meetup traces the emergence of complex societies and the webs of exchange that connected them.
🏺 The shift from nomadic life to settled agriculture
🏛️ The rise of cities, governance, and social hierarchies
📜 Early writing systems and the birth of historical memory
🌐 Intercivilisational exchange: trade routes, technologies, and ideas
🧭 Alternative narratives: Were there other paths to complexity?
While ancient cities often dominate the narrative of civilisation, pastoral societies—those centered around herding, mobility, and seasonal migration—also qualify as civilisations in their own right. These communities developed intricate social structures, oral traditions, spiritual cosmologies, and systems of exchange that rivaled their urban counterparts. From the Eurasian steppes to the Sahel, pastoralists connected distant cultures through trade routes, diplomacy, and storytelling. Their adaptive lifeways challenge sedentary biases in historical interpretation and invite us to broaden our understanding of what civilisation truly means.
Whether you're a history buff, a curious thinker, or a speculative storyteller, this meetup invites you to rethink the roots of civilisation—not as a linear tale, but as a mosaic of human ingenuity, adaptation, and connection.
Format: Short video viewings & presentation, followed by open discussion & possible thematic break-out groups.
Who Should Come: Writers, historians, educators, futurists, and anyone intrigued by the deep past and its relevance to our shared future.
