The pyramids of Egypt and the Maya, stories of Alexander the Great and the Inca royalty, are part of our heritage and upbringing. We continue to read about them, talk about them, and often when we travel we make ancient monuments the high points of our itinerary. Much of the meaning and practices of contemporary life are rooted in patterns from the distant past.
Ideas build on earlier ideas, and habits are built on earlier habits.
Many ideas and practices have changed little over the centuries, and may owe their best expressions to former peoples. By studying the ancient past, we are reminded how much we owe to them, and are better able to understand our own culture. There is also the enticing prospect of going beyond appreciation to explanation. At least since Ibn Khaldun, scholars have pursued the comparative study of culture and civilization to uncover regularities, and essay explanations in terms of environmental factors, internal social dynamics, or archetypes of the human imagination. The study of such transformations as the development of agriculture or the rise of the state may help us understand our current transformation to an information society.