Abstract
Ancient civilizations generated effective novelty in both aesthetic and practical domains. However, early writings show that they differed substantially in their views on the nature and purpose of creativity (depicting the world accurately through high levels of skill vs. depicting it fancifully through the exercise of imagination), how much and what kind of change they tolerated (refining what already exists vs. replacing it with something new), or understanding of the source of individual imagination in creativity (a personal trait vs. a divine gift). These differences are illustrated by case studies of four ancient civilizations (Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, Greece) spanning approximately 5000–2000 years ago. Acceptance of certain aspects of creativity, such as openness to disruptive novelty or emphasis on the imaginative powers of creative individuals, seems to have grown stronger with the passage of the millenia.
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