The World's Oldest Village
At one time it was the race to the moon that signalled a nation's place in the world. If you could shoot something big and beeping into space, you were a modern, technologically orientated power deserving of a seat on the Security Council of the UN. If you couldn't, you were merely among the "also rans" of the Third World - which explains why so many nations were keen to announce a "Space Programme", even when nothing actually came out of it. Mind you, a few desperate politicians still prefer to spend money on space while holding out their hands to the West for relief supplies to feed their starving populations.
In the world of archaeology similar kudos applies to being able to claim that your nation is home to the oldest .... (fill in the blank yourself). Agriculture, cities, man himself, all have featured in the "oldest" claims at one time or another. Exactly why this should be so I am not sure: perhaps it has to do with the tourist industry: "People have lived here for Xxxx thousand years, so it's worth your while to come and spend a few dollars here too."
If so, it is curious that the latest "oldest" claim comes from Iran, a country not notable for its hospitality to tourists. Any woman who ventures into the Islamic Republic has to swathe herself in mummy-like shrouds while any man who does so runs the risk of being accused of spying - plus you're apt to get some very restricted results from Google.
Still, the fact remains that the Iranians have recently claimed to have the world's oldest village. Hassan Fazeli, director of Iran's Archaeology Research Centre, announced, "The historical site dates back to 9800 BC and evidence suggests inhabitance in the site continued until 7400 BC."
As a foreigner I suppose we can forgive him "inhabitance in" instead of "habitation of", but I'll suspend judgement on the rest of his claim. Whether or not Neolithic Iranians moved out of caves and built villages 11,800 years ago, it is far too early to claim, as Mr Fazeli does, that Iran was the main Neolithic centre of the Middle East, particularly as the announcement appears to lack essential details, such as the name of the village or even of the nearest town.
swathe herself Mind you, the opposite is equally undesirable. I was in Luxor a couple of years back, strolling along the Corniche which was crowded with Egyptians and lined with tourist steamers. Most of the Egyptian women were swathed to the eyebrows in black cloth, as is customary in Muslim countries.
Barely ten yards away, on the deck of one of the steamers, a haggard-looking European woman sunbathing topless on the deck sat up and smeared sunscreen on her skin - a manifestation of cultural insensitivity that horrified me. If she must sunbathe topless she could at least have moved to the other side of the ship!
Let me make it clear that I have no personal objection to female nudity - though I do prefer my nudes to be younger and more shapely. My objection is to engaging in public nudity in a country like Egypt where it will give great offence to the deep feelings of the people of that country. Whether or not those feelings are reasonable or logical, the fact remains that they exist - reverence for the monarchy in Thailand, worship of antiques in Greece, adoration of the flag in America. Only a cad would disregard such feelings.
I have similar opinions about those who go to Muslim countries and demand alcohol. If you can't survive a week or a fortnight without alcohol, admit that you're an addict and check into a good detox programme. (The young Iranian/American woman reporter recently imprisoned in Iran lost my sympathy when it was revealed that she came to the attention of the authorities by trying to buy bootleg liquor. Stupid woman.) Return
© Kendall K. Down 2009
