Science and Creationism

11. Archaeology

© Colin Frayn, 2008-2011www.frayn.net

© Colin Frayn, 2008www.frayn.net

Dating Ancient Cultures• BCE / CE instead of BC / AD

– Means the same thing, but culture neutral

• Dating methods:– C-14– Written records– Archaeological remains– Geological events

© Colin Frayn, 2008www.frayn.net

History of Civilisation• Paleolithic (2.6 Myr – 20,000 BCE)

– Early stone age– The origin of simple tools, art, burial, villages

• Mesolithic (20,000 – 10,000 BCE)

– Middle stone age– Complex tools, archery, boats

• Neolithic (10,000 – 3,300 BCE)

– Late stone age– Pottery, agriculture, cities, trade

• Bronze age (3,300 – 1,300 BCE)• Iron Age (1,300 BCE - 400 CE)

© Colin Frayn, 2008www.frayn.net

Civilisation in 4004 BCE(The alleged year of creation)

• The Uruk period of Sumerian history

• The Chalcolithic (copper) age– Just before the Bronze age (~3300 BCE)– First appearance of copper artefacts– First stable towns and cities– Trade routes established of over 1,000 miles

• The City of Mehrgarh– Located in Pakistan, discovered in 1974– Continuously occupied 7000 – 2600 BCE– Evidence of farming and herding before 5000 BCE– Evidence of pottery, ornaments, burial sites

• 5000 BCE: Development of writing• 4000 BCE: Development of the wheel

© Colin Frayn, 2008www.frayn.net

Civilisation in 2500 BCE(When the flood allegedly occurred)

• Egyptians had just finished building the pyramids of Giza– The Old Kingdom stood between 3rd and 6th dynasties (c.

2686 – 2134 BCE)– No record in Egyptian texts of a flood– Unbroken line of Egyptian Pharaohs

• Stretches back to ~3150 BCE

• Bristlecone pine “Methuselah” is 200 years old– Germinated ~ 2,700 BCE– A global flood would have killed it

• Construction of Stonehenge begins

© Colin Frayn, 2008www.frayn.net

The Oldest Farmers• Farming arose before 10,000 BCE

– The “Neolithic Revolution”– The first domestication of plants

• Domestication of crops can be traced using DNA studies to identify age of common ancestors

• Individual grains can be dated using Carbon-14

• 7000 BCE : Domestication of cattle & pigs• 6000 BCE : Farming reaches the banks of the Nile• 5000 BCE : Farming reached Western Europe