by Julien Transon
Throughout history, we have often believed that progress naturally accompanies the passage of time. Former civilizations have frequently been dismissed as savage, while people from antiquity and the Middle Ages are stereotyped as ignorant, violent, and superstitious.
For decades, lesser-known cultures like the Celts, Mongols, and Franks have been burdened with false reputations. However, recent historical research has started to cast these societies in a new light, revealing their advanced social structures. These civilizations often offered significant roles to women, developed complex legal systems, and created sophisticated jewelry. Far from being defined solely by war and conquest, they also engaged in vibrant commercial exchanges.
This understanding reminds us that progress is driven by people, not by time alone. While the present day has brought remarkable advancements, we can still learn much from the past.
One compelling exploration of this idea comes from the French novel La Nuit des Temps (Dawn of Time), written in 1968 by René Barjavel. The story imagines an advanced civilization that existed in humanity’s distant past, challenging the assumption that progress is a one-way street.
In the novel, a team of scientists working in Antarctica discovers a mysterious golden sphere buried deep in the ice. Inside, they find two frozen individuals—a man and a woman. When they awaken the woman, Éléa, she recounts the story of Gondawa, a country that thrived 900,000 years ago. Gondawa’s civilization surpasses our own in many ways, including technological innovation, social harmony, and even food production—they have invented a machine capable of creating food from nothing.
Barjavel’s work is imbued with a sense of nostalgia and philosophical reflection. He asks whether perfection lies in childhood, posing the thought-provoking question: “Might adulthood simply be childhood that has begun to decay?”
This philosophy encourages us to carry the curiosity and spontaneity of youth into adulthood, tempered by the strength of experience. Modern life often crushes us under the weight of work, taxes, and politics. Yet Éléa and her partner from ancient times exemplify a balance—they retain their inner child while embodying the wisdom and maturity of adulthood.
Barjavel also uses the concept of childhood as a metaphor for the early stages of humanity. Writing during a time of rapid technological progress, just a year before the first moon landing and amid fears of nuclear war, Barjavel expressed both wonder and anxiety about the modern world. His rural upbringing left him nostalgic for a slower, simpler life, even as he lived in an increasingly fast-paced and polluted urban environment.
He admired East Asian cultures for their ability to balance tradition and modernity, emphasizing the importance of spirituality alongside technological progress. This fusion of the concrete and abstract, of vast civilizations and intimate human stories, is what makes science fiction such a rich genre.
In Dawn of Time, Barjavel reminds us that history unfolds in cycles. While cycles may bring dark periods of war and strife, they also usher in love, art, and philosophy. Humanity today is not so different from 3,000 years ago, but we have one crucial advantage: the knowledge of our past. Just as nature moves in cycles, so too does human history.
La Nuit des Temps beautifully weaves these themes into its narrative. If you enjoy science fiction, love stories, and adventure, don’t miss this timeless masterpiece!