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https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.03748 https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.03748 If an industrial civilization had existed on Earth many millions of years prior to our own er

https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.03748 https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.03748 If an industrial civilization had existed on Earth many millions of years prior to our own era, what traces would it have left and would they be detectable today? We summarize the likely geological fingerprint of the Anthropocene, and demonstrate that while clear, it will not differ greatly in many respects from other known events in the geological record. We then propose tests that could plausibly distinguish an industrial cause from an otherwise naturally occurring climate event.

cryptonector 6y ago
If such a civilization was confined to the shores of what is now the black sea, but which before the current interglacial was a fresh water lake whose level was much lower than today's, then no, we wouldn't be able to detect it casually -- we'd have to work real hard to find it. For civilizations confined to open sea shores the situation is much less dramatic because the sea level rise there was less than at the black sea, but still, there could be some that are 30 meters under water (accessible) but completely covered in sediment (so inaccessible). Seems... unlikely to me. Plausible, yes, but unlikely. In particular any pre-interglacial civilization would have had to develop during the preceding glacial period, not before it because that would take it back 100Ky, which is too much to be believable given what we know so far about our species' evolution (though anything from more than 100Kya would be hard to find indeed). And evidence of it would have to have been destroyed by sea level rise during the interglacial, but why would the civilization itself be destroyed by the interglacial?
- BuckRogers 6y ago
  I think you’re correct. The story on our species is known to degree that it’s unreasonable that an advanced agricultural civilization existed. I think it’s more likely that far further back, a dinosaur species achieved a more advanced state than we think possible today. Not quite agricultural due to a lack of tool use, but as far as you can go without the opposable thumb. Advanced social structures and nomadic. It’s pointless speculation, but I do think it’s more likely given the timespan available.

cryptonector 6y ago

If such a civilization was confined to the shores of what is now the black sea, but which before the current interglacial was a fresh water lake whose level was much lower than today's, then no, we wouldn't be able to detect it casually -- we'd have to work real hard to find it. For civilizations confined to open sea shores the situation is much less dramatic because the sea level rise there was less than at the black sea, but still, there could be some that are 30 meters under water (accessible) but completely covered in sediment (so inaccessible). Seems... unlikely to me. Plausible, yes, but unlikely. In particular any pre-interglacial civilization would have had to develop during the preceding glacial period, not before it because that would take it back 100Ky, which is too much to be believable given what we know so far about our species' evolution (though anything from more than 100Kya would be hard to find indeed). And evidence of it would have to have been destroyed by sea level rise during the interglacial, but why would the civilization itself be destroyed by the interglacial?

BuckRogers 6y ago
I think you’re correct. The story on our species is known to degree that it’s unreasonable that an advanced agricultural civilization existed. I think it’s more likely that far further back, a dinosaur species achieved a more advanced state than we think possible today. Not quite agricultural due to a lack of tool use, but as far as you can go without the opposable thumb. Advanced social structures and nomadic. It’s pointless speculation, but I do think it’s more likely given the timespan available.