Early human civilizations used dance rituals to strengthen social bonds and communicate with gods. Dance allowed for self-expression and spiritual connection. Dancing traditions continue today. Additionally, early civilizations emphasized religion to form moral codes and social hierarchies. For example, the Vedic people justified a caste system using religious authority. Both early and modern societies also seek to establish order through legal systems like the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, showing a universal human drive for structure and justice.

1. Personally, the most interesting thing to learn regarding early human
Personally, the most interesting thing to learn regarding early human civilizations was the
use of dance as a means of cultural, social, and spiritual significance. As a dancer myself, I
found it particularly engaging to learn about how the ancient civilizations used a variety of
dance rituals and techniques to strengthen their communal bonds of unity, while
simultaneously surpassing the physical dimension and engaging in communication with the
gods. It was interesting to learn about how dance served multiple purposes and allowed
even the earliest of humans to have an outlet of self expression, a common shared interest,
and an avenue to an enhanced spiritual connectedness. The dancing rituals of these early
human civilizations signified the birth of a tradition of dance that continues on to this day.I
also believe that the universal aspects of religious emphasis and a desire for political order
are evident in both the lives of early and modern humans alike. A focalization on religious
components and spiritual awareness stemmed back from the beginning of time, as we
witnessed the rise of various religious beliefs of civilizations such as the Israelites, Vedic
people, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians. Religion played a key component in the
establishment of a society’s moral and ethical code, along with their perception of social
classes and stratifications. For example, we learned this week that the Vedic people used the
divine authority of Purusha to justify the distinction of four different social classes, each
with their own given responsibilities and levels of power. The Vedic people’s understanding
of their creation narrative containing a heavy emphasis on religion thus formulated the
basic makeup of their society and political culture (Herbst Video, Wk 4 “Vedic Worldview”,
4:33). The concept of religion is a broadly universal aspect, where different cultures use
their unique religious beliefs to enrich their communal ties and understanding of the
universe. From the earliest of times to the present, various religions such as Christianity,
Buddhism, Hinduism, and more often embody a deep sense of culture, tradition, and history
that shape our societies as we know them. Religion directly correlates to every other aspect
of life, forming the basic foundation of people’s views on social, economic, political, spiritual,
and physical factors that impact every corner of the world. In addition to religion, both early
and modern humans have been affected by their innate inclination to establish order and
justice. The Babylonians established the Hammurabi code of laws, which established the
standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the
requirements of justice (WTWA Ch. 2, p. 93). This initial set of laws set the bedrock for
future government systems to come across the globe, including our modern-day code of law
– the US Constitution. Every early civilization formulated their own set of rules or laws in an

2. effort to obtain some level of peace and justice, thus establishing a universal pattern and
emphasis on structure. These universal aspects relate to all humans, regardless of their time
period, and will continue to develop and evolve as time progresses.