>Why is the temple on top of a mountain?
Raised, high ground away from polluting light (and eyes) in modern times used for capturing light. The light which is used to observe and record Time.
Temple could be said to be a "time mashine". But observatory would be a good match for its function in relation the tools the "watchers" used.
Historical Thread and The Societal Seeds
There is a single thread of humanity, that has been always present.
Through the rise and fall of tribes, villages, towns, cities, states, countries and empires.
Each at its center a knot or seed.
The thread is the person(s) that represents the point of wisdom (oracle, medicine / wise man).
The wisdom provided, functioning as individual faces of a crystal.
Which are defined from its seed.
Thus the character, as the structure grows.
Structure being the tribe, village etc..
From the evidence left a movie can be created that shows the many seeds creating structures.
As well as the structures failing / collapsing.
It also shows the average duration between collapses increasing.
The facets of the structures today, if compared, show great similarity.
The oracles and their similar colleagues having the modern representation as religious, corporate and governing organizations.
With common structure there will also be common causes for failure / collapse.
Although the structures are artificial, over time they have more closely copied natural structures.
But, even though these artificial structures fail.
The natural structures of humanity always remain and persist.
What could be called the culture.
(though, not the sterile xerox called corporate culture)