The fact that these coincide with the first development of writings has nothing to do with the fact that we know about them. And therefore it is obvious that philosophical thought and complex belief system cannot have existed in pre-recorded history. Before the invention of written symbols, humans were idiots incapable of such things. It is also obvious that those great thinkers came up with everything on their own without relying on previous orally transmitted philosophical traditions and beliefs.

/s

Cause I had to look it up:

L’enfer c’est les autres = Hell is other people

Agree with the bonus panel.

Also: Just because we don’t know any religions or famous people from before that time, doesn’t mean that they didn’t exist, just that we don’t know about them. The further away you are from a point, the less details you can make out. This is completely normal.

Blaming this on population density and urbanization might not be wrong, but it can’t be all there is to it. I think.