Did Ancient Civilizations Have Their Own Ancient Civilizations?

Long before modern archaeology, Babylonians and Egyptians were already excavating their own ancient past. This film follows King Nabonidus digging 18 cubits at Sippar to find Naram-Sin’s 1,700-year-old stone, Prince Khaemwaset restoring a 1,000-year-old statue at Saqqara, and Prince Thutmose IV clearing the Sphinx and raising his 15-ton Dream Stele. It explores the 76 kings of the Abydos list, the 241,200-year Sumerian King List and Manetho’s 30 dynasties. Ancient archaeology was practiced by the ancients themselves, long before modern methods emerged to study the deep past. History is a recursive process. While we view the ancient world as the beginning, leaders in 550 BC were already treating their own history as a relic. By examining the Sumerian King List and the physical evidence of royal excavators, we see how rulers actively sought the foundations of their own culture. They weren't just preserving artifacts; they were engaging in early historical research to validate their power and lineage. From the 76 kings on the Abydos list to Manetho’s 30 dynasties, the obsession with heritage is a recurring human constant. We look at how these civilizations understood their own antiquity through the lens of those who came before them. When a king in Babylon digs 18 cubits deep to find a stone laid 1,700 years prior, it proves that the concept of ancient history is not a modern invention. Subscribe for weekly historical breakdowns, and let me know in the comments if you want to explore more on the timeline of the ancient world. 0:00 The Ancient Obsession with Antiquity 1:04 Living Among the Ruins of Giants 3:13 Decoding the Myth of Ancient Time 4:38 Nabonidus and the First Archaeology 7:22 The Song Dynasty's Study of Bronze 9:07 Aztec Pilgrims at the Birthplace of Gods