Ancient Civilisation

[ImperiumSega138]

Hey guys, so I haven't posted anything in a while but I need some help (AGAIN!!!). So...I have a basic idea of what my story is about and what happens in it but I'm having problems with specifics. In bullet points here's the gist of the story:

• Ancient alien civilisation ("The Arkitect's - and yes that's how I'm spelling it) exists within the milky way (they govern it, peacefully but still has a military force)
• Humanity arrives in the galaxy (having been in a war with a "great evil") seeking to rebuild.
• The Arkitects welcome Humanity and a treaty was established, humanity warns the of the threat. Humanity establishes a home world (Eda Tyrene - translates as beautiful garden....A.K.A Earth)

Here's the problem...I need to figure out what point in Earth's history would be best suited to establish their civilisation? Obviously, a period were Earth could easily be colonise, so no dinosaurs or really any animal that could prove a threat.

Any ideas?

 

[Overread]

If humans already have interstellar travel and have alien allies who rule most of the galaxy chances are dinosaurs are really not that much of a threat unless they want to protect the ecosystem. Even for all their size and power they'd die to guns/weapons fairly easily. Heck humanity is listed as one of the strongest possible reasons for the die-off of many/most megafauna, and that was with bows and arrows, sticks, traps, pitfalls and spears/blades.

So really you could pick any period; from the vast era of the dinosaurs whre you've a vast range of ages you could pick (which would affect which ones were around at the time); or you could focus on the period that comes after and the various ice-ages and interstadial periods.

 

[ImperiumSega138]

True, true.

 

[sknox]

Modern day. One EMP and we're done.

 

[Pyan]

I'd go for the Oligocene epoch (33.9 mya to 23 mya) - the dinosaurs have gone, the average temperature is nice and warm, and there's an equatorial belt of forest with grasslands north and south.

Oligocene - Wikipedia

 

[ImperiumSega138]

Firstly, modern day would work as its set in the ancient past like before man walked the earth (this the round).

And secondly, I like the sound of the Oligocene epoch, just what I was looking for...as you said no dinosaurs, temperatures are nice and there's some grasslands (for building big and awesome looking structures! Hehe)

 

[WarriorMouse]

I think the Miocene period maybe better. The lack of evidence (in the present day) of a Human arrival can be explained away by the Ice age. Plus this period see's an increase of evolution in the great apes there by allowing you to slide in Modern Humans.

 

[ImperiumSega138]

That could work but my humans that settle on earth before the advent of the modern humans are "Ancient Humans" so they're a little different and far more technologically advanced. Plus I need an E.L.E (or Extinction Level Event) to end the culture of the ancient humans and pave the way for the new modern humans that came along as a remnant of the ancient humans...if that makes any sense to you guys. I have it like half plotted out in my head but finalising it is a b****, lol.

 

[WarriorMouse]

That could work but my humans that settle on earth before the advent of the modern humans are "Ancient Humans" so they're a little different and far more technologically advanced. Plus I need an E.L.E (or Extinction Level Event) to end the culture of the ancient humans and pave the way for the new modern humans that came along as a remnant of the ancient humans...if that makes any sense to you guys. I have it like half plotted out in my head but finalising it is a b****, lol.

If your ancient humans colonized in the northern hemisphere then the repeated back and forth of Ice Age glaciation could wipe out any evidence of that civilization. Useing that period allows your humans to slip into the evolutionary record. That is the period of evolution in which it is believed that human ancestry branched away from the ape. Your E.L.E could be of off world manufacture, or self inflicted. ie; bio weapon.

 

[ImperiumSega138]

That actually helps a lot, thanks!

 

[WarriorMouse]

 

[Mirannan]

Maybe the Pliocene, with most of them settling in the Mediterranean basin before the Gibraltar strait opened up. Which neatly gets rid of the evidence and provides an ELE.

 

[ImperiumSega138]

What skin tone pigmentation would they have in that era? I was thinking of giving them a light Caucasian tone border lining grey skin tone, but I'm not sure...someone help please???

 

[ImperiumSega138]

What would their eye colour be as well?

 

[Mirannan]

Well, according to the latest evidence (DNA analysis of a bog mummy, IIRC) it appears that ancient Brits in c. 10,000BCE had mid-brown skin and blue eyes. Or at least, this particular one had.

Actually, that makes sense. It is rather obvious that the original humans coming from Africa would have had dark skin. It's likely that the lightening of skin in Northern Europe would be gradual - driven by evolution for various reasons.

 

[WarriorMouse]

It's likely that the lightening of skin in Northern Europe would be gradual - driven by evolution for various reasons.

Or, the result of light skinned survivours of an off world human colony that slowly spread through out Northern Europe.

 

[ImperiumSega138]

Well I was considering the fact that this ancient human civilisation had been on earth for at least 100,000 years, would it not be possible for them as a species to develop the same skin pigmentation difference they we modern humans have developed; Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, Asian, etc based on the climate that they lived in they shouldn't be that different to us now...