Notwithstanding, even the brief glimpses afforded by such investigations can provide some insight into civilizations that existed hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of years earlier.
( Notwithstanding ( , ( ( ( even ( the ( brief glimpses ) ) ) ( afforded ( by ( such investigations ) ) ) ) ( ( can ( ( provide ( some insight ) ) ( into ( civilizations ( that ( ( existed ( ( ( hundreds or ) ( , ( ( in ( some cases ) ) , ) ) ) thousands ) ) ( of ( years earlier ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) ) ) )
(ROOT (S (ADVP (RB Notwithstanding)) (, ,) (NP (NP (RB even) (DT the) (JJ brief) (NNS glimpses)) (VP (VBN afforded) (PP (IN by) (NP (JJ such) (NNS investigations))))) (VP (MD can) (VP (VB provide) (NP (DT some) (NN insight)) (PP (IN into) (NP (NP (NNS civilizations)) (SBAR (WHNP (WDT that)) (S (VP (VBD existed) (NP (NP (NNS hundreds)) (CC or) (PRN (, ,) (PP (IN in) (NP (DT some) (NNS cases))) (, ,)) (NP (NNS thousands))) (PP (IN of) (ADVP (NP (NNS years)) (RBR earlier)))))))))) (. .)))
Going back and re-analyzing known language samples and extrapolating upon them tells us about ancient civilizations.
( ( ( ( Going back ) and ) ( ( ( re-analyzing ( known ( language samples ) ) ) and ) ( extrapolating ( upon them ) ) ) ) ( ( ( tells us ) ( about ( ancient civilizations ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (S (VP (VP (VBG Going) (ADVP (RB back))) (CC and) (VP (VP (VBG re-analyzing) (NP (JJ known) (NN language) (NNS samples))) (CC and) (VP (VBG extrapolating) (PP (IN upon) (NP (PRP them))))))) (VP (VBZ tells) (NP (PRP us)) (PP (IN about) (NP (JJ ancient) (NNS civilizations)))) (. .)))