Ancient People Had Complex Beliefs
As civilisations developed and the people led more comfortable lives, they could afford to spend more time thinking about issues such as life and death, and the existence of a god or gods. Sometimes, these thoughts and ideas developed into religions and philosophies, such as Buddhism and Confucianism, that are still practised today. We will learn more about religion and philosophy in Chapter 6.
Ancient People Had a Writing System
All civilisations had some way to record their thoughts and actions. The development of a writing system allowed the ancient people to communicate with one another. Today, historians rely on the written records left by the people of ancient India, China and Southeast Asia to get information about the past.