[detritus]

As interesting for me are the myths of great floods across multiple cultures that can trace their history to sea level rises - particularly affecting the Persian Gulf, shifting populations ever northward to ancient Mesopotamia.

I find oral tradition fascinating and wonder how modern technology (eg. books onwards) has affected it.

[dotancohen]

One of the oldest writings still preserved contains the musings of an old man, on the proliferation of writing, complaining that the young will now no longer have to memorize their lessons because it can be now written down and read. If memory serves it is Egyptian.

[Bayart]

Hasn't the sea level "lowered" in the Persian Gulf ? Silting made the sea significantly further away from the Sumerian heartland nowadays than it was back then.

I've always thought the flood narrative archetype had to do with uncontrolled river floods, predating early state building and large irrigation projects. It's certainly that way in China.