That’s a question worth exploring again. It has been suggested that the earliest historical examples date back only to the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia, but other scholars and archaeologists argue that this can’t be the case, since there were great civilizations in these regions as well! The most probable way we can date dance to the Mesopotamian era is by looking for the most recent common ancestor of dance that emerged there from an ancestor that arose in Arabia as well!
In order to better understand the origins and early development of dance, it is important to ask how it developed around the world. What we know about the history of dancing reveals that it developed from several different cultures, not just Sumerian civilization, which was dominated by one group of people for millennia. Indeed, ancient art depicting social dancing was found just about everywhere from Egypt to Persia.
Another example of modern day dances, like a salsa dance, dates back several thousand years, as evidenced by the stone tool techniques of Mesopotamian archeologists. The origins of salsa dancing go back several thousand years, as demonstrated by the stone tool techniques of Mesopotamian archeologists.
In order to better understand the history of dance, it is important to ask about the reasons why so many nations practiced this ancient art as its earliest form. Some believe it was a way for people to express their love and romance through dance, whereas others argue it was an expression and celebration of the cultural differences between a people. Either way, it is clear that dancing dates back thousands of years, and is associated with ancient civilizations as diverse as Sumer and Egypt.
Sara D. Ketchum, PhD, Professor in Egyptology and Assistant Dean for Research in the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology at Temple University of Jerusalem, is a contributing editor to Ancient History Magazine.
This article was originally published in Ancient History Magazine, the quarterly publication of the Association for American Archaeology. To subscribe, click here.
(Photo: John McEnroe/Zuma Press)
The New York Post’s Page Six is reporting on a new lawsuit filed by former heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis against the UFC over a $50 million wrongful death settlement. According to a statement from Lewis’ legal team, the fighter was allegedly killed by drugs administered by the UFC fighter, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
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