>It has always been my assumption that the advent of modern civilization as
>we know it was due in large part to the additional free time we gained as a
>result of agriculture, animal husbandry and the subsequent organized
>distribution of labor.

exact with the help of slaves ( very well organised distribution of labor).
And i wonder what the children of agriculturists  of yesterday think about
the" free time" they got  at working for their parents or the children of
modern societies think about the 'free time  spent  on the bench of schools.
While those children dream of hollidays the hunter gatherers children have
fun playing their future adult role.

> As a result of this free time we found ourselves with
>the time to develop intellectual skills like reading, writing, mathematics,
>architecture, etc. Am I wrong?

No but the people who did develop those skills made sure than the peoples
who were in fact doing the work could not have access to it

And the improvments made over the centuries on this system of thing  got so
refined that the slaves of today ask for more.( brain washing thru modern
means of "communication" )

when you are in real communication and cooperation with the members of  your
tribe ( and not in competition with each other like in agriculturists and
merchants society) not only you don't get depressed but you don't feel the
need for the poor substitute that writing or email lists procure .
jean-claude