Geoff writes, once again missing the point: 

"Of course it is of interest. Such data points to the obvious fact that such
mythical yearnings for a supposedly perfect past have been present
throughout all of history and a satndard part of human nature, not just
arbitrarily starting in the age of enlightenment." 

 

They sure are part and parcel of the human condition. Campbell's work
suggests a megamyth that local inflections are instances of. However, the
fact that such mythemes are found the world over doesn't begin to consider
their transformation through time. In the history of ideas, those still
exercising influence on contemporary thinking underwent consideration
transformation and development in the Enlightenment, taking on new form in
nascent scientific speculation of that time. Now, one could idiotically
argument some notion of 'science' also existed among the ancients to
relativism the matter, thereby ignoring the growth and evolution originating
only in the Latin Renaissance due largely to the Corpus Hermeticum over
turning the reign of blind faith/dark ages.