The lower Yangtze River and Aegean Sea in the third millennium BC: parallel cradles of civilizations

A critical assessment of the heterogeneous prehistoric societies of Liangzhu in China and Cyclades in Greece, forged by differing geographical, ecological, topographical, demographic, and historical conditions, is proposed. Through juxtaposition, the obtained contrasting image reveals the textures of cultures and leads to-mutual understanding. For the farmers of the Yangtze River delta and the islanders of the central Aegean Sea waterborne travel encouraged a culture of exchange, long-distance relationships, and maritime or riverine navigation. Despite structural similarities, both communities would have been perplexed at the alienness of the populous settlement of Liangzhu within the lush evergreen surroundings, the masterful jade craftsmanship, the network of Cycladic villages surrounded by meagre land from which a living was eked out and hard rocks mined for rare minerals, and the intrepid sailing of dangerous Aegean waters for trade, community, marriage, and war. Activities and mentalities of distant cultures are classified as parallel items. The prehistoric inhabitants of the Yangtze delta's habitat and the deep blue of the Aegean Sea left us with unique a cultural heritage that promotes its investigation, interpretation, and dissemination using modern technology. Cultural tourism and ecological protection with interpretation and integration in the context of tangible and intangible cultural heritage are linked to sustainable development goals Yangtze River delta and the Cycladic islands act as heritage regions. When properly valued, they are assets for societal cohesion, education, development, and understanding of the past, give reason to the present, and aid for the future.