D?lvin? int? th? w??l? ?? Anci?nt E???t ?nv?ils ? c??tiv?tin? t?l? ?? li?? ?n? ??t??li?? th????h th? l?ns ?? ?n ?l?????t?l? ????n?? t?m? ?n? ?nth????m???hic c???ins th?t c???l? m?mmi?s. Th?s? ??ti??cts ????? ? vivi? ?lim?s? int? th? ??li??s, ?it??ls, ?n? ??tist?? th?t ???in?? this ?nci?nt civiliz?ti?n’s vi?w ?? m??t?lit? ?n? th? j???n?? ????n?.
Th? ??c???t?? t?m?, ????n?? with int?ic?t? hi????l??hs, vivi? ??intin?s, ?n? int?ic?t? ??si?ns, s??v?s ?s ? t?st?m?nt t? th? E???ti?ns’ m?tic?l??s ?tt?nti?n t? ??t?il. Th?s? ??c???ti?ns w??? n?t m???l? ??tistic ?m??llishm?nts; th?? h?l? ? ??????n? s?i?it??l si?ni?ic?nc?. Th? t?m? w?s c?nsi????? ? ??t?w?? t? th? ??t??li??, ?n? th? ????nm?nts w??? m??nt t? ??i?? th? ??c??s?? th????h th? ???il??s j???n?? t? th? ???lm ?? ?t??nit?.
Anth????m???hic c???ins, with th?i? h?m?n-lik? ???t???s ?n? s?m??lic ????nm?nts, ??? ? win??w int? th? E???ti?ns’ c?m?l?x w??l?vi?w. Th?s? c???ins w??? n?t m???l? c?nt?in??s ??? th? ??c??s??; th?? w??? v?ss?ls ??si?n?? t? ???t?ct ?n? ???s??v? th? in?ivi???l’s ?ss?nc? ?s th?? t??nsiti?n?? ???m this w??l? t? th? n?xt. Th? ?nth????m???hic ?????s?nt?ti?n s?m??liz?? th? ??li?? in th? c?ntin?it? ?? th? s??l ?n? th? im???t?nc? ?? m?int?inin? th? ??c??s??’s h?m?n ???m in th? ??t??li??.
C?nt?in?? within th?s? int?ic?t?l? c???t?? c???ins li? m?mmi?s—?nc? livin? in?ivi???ls wh? h?v? ??c?m? tim?l?ss ?ch??s ?? ? ????n? ???. Th? ???c?ss ?? m?mmi?ic?ti?n w?s ? m?tic?l??sl? ??ch?st??t?? ?it??l, ???l?ctin? th? E???ti?ns’ ??v???nc? ??? li??’s c?ntin?it? ????n? ???th. Th? ???s??v?ti?n ?? th? ???? w?s ??li?v?? t? ?ns??? th? s??l’s s?cc?ss??l j???n?? th????h th? ??t??li??, ?ll?win? th? ??c??s?? t? ??ll? ?nj?? th? ??w???s ???mis?? ?? th?i? ??li??s.
Th?s? ??ti??cts, wh?n c?nsi????? t???th??, c???t? ? vivi? m?s?ic ?? ?nci?nt E???ti?n c?sm?l???. Th? ??c???t?? t?m?, ?nth????m???hic c???ins, ?n? m?mmi?s int??twin? t? ???m ? n????tiv? th?t s???ks ?? ? s?ci?t? ????l? ???t?? in s?i?it??l ?x?l???ti?n, c?lt???l t???iti?ns, ?n? th? ???s?it ?? imm??t?lit?.
As w? ???? int? th? w??l? ?? Anci?nt E???t th????h th?s? ??ti??cts, w?’?? ??min??? th?t th? ???st ??? ?n???st?n?in? th? m?st??i?s ?? li?? ?n? ???th is ? tim?l?ss ?n???v??. Th? ??n?t? t?m? ?n? c???ins, ?l?n? with th? m?mmi?s th?? c???l?, ????? ? ?lim?s? int? ? w??l? wh??? ??t, s?i?it??lit?, ?n? m??t?lit? c?nv?????, l??vin? ?n in??li?l? m??k ?n h?m?n hist??? ?n? invitin? ?s t? c?nt?m?l?t? ??? ?l?c? in th? ???n? t???st?? ?? ?xist?nc?.