Do you feel surprised to see what old civilizations like Inca were able to achieve?

Not at all. It was not actually that much.
I’m amazed how far humanity has progressed with technology in the last 60 years

I think the one that amazes me the most was the Vikings. They figured out how to sail from Scandanavia to North America and back without getting lost.

Surprised that they never discovered writing and instead just using complex beadworks for communication.

I don’t remember if it was the Incas or the Aztecs, but one of them built sn advanced civilization but never used wheels on their wagons and chariots—yet they DID use wheels on children’s toys.

^Those are Incas. I’m sure about the fact that they didn’t use wheels but you’re saying they had toys with wheels? That’s surprising!!

Yes, they had pull toys of animals that used wheels, yet they never used them on wagons, carts, or chariots.

I am fascinated by the Incas, Mayas, Aztecs—the further south you go, the more advanced the American Indian cultures were. It kind of filters out in the Arizonas and the cliff dwellers. By the time you get to the bearing strait they are primitive and nomadic. Yet that’s where you’d expect to find the oldest and most advanced. The opposite seems to be the case

Absolutely, I would love to see them being built. The game courts and drawings are really something to see in person.

I read history for the joy of being amazed at people accomplished in different times and places. I have been scheming to build a bridge at a friend’s cabin, with stone piers on each side of the river. The sticking point is moving small boulders around were we can’t bring in power equipment.

And then I look at the Incan stonework and it’s astounding. Or the stones in ancient Egypt and Ethiopia weighing hundreds of tons.

Ancient astronomy and mathematics were advanced, too. The Wikipedia page on Babylonian mathematics is mind-blowing, where they were doing algebra and square roots.

@seawulf575 There have been great sea faring civilisations before and during the Viking period. They were not that special. There is a great deal of evidence that the Egyptians travelled to South America and beyond.

Nope. Just a thought but by the time the Inca empire arrived Oxford university was already pushing 400.

Where did they arrive from?

@ScienceChick I think Africa, with Egypt on top of it, split up with South America. Maybe transcontinental drift wasn’t that advanced yet and traveling from Africa to South and Central America was more like wading across the creek. Vikings were better,

Actually it was Continental drift, Nothing trans about it

@Yellowdog you have absolutely no sense of history or the Earth’s age, do you? Americans who always use the Vikings as some sort of perfect example or use their symbolism almost always do it because they’re racist bits of shit.

Hey, the Vikings had sense enough to go to Canada. I’d rather be there than Central America. Memphis is as hot as the Zoo in the summer. and I have no desire to go to Central America or anyplace south..

To answer your quesiton no I don’t have any history of the Earth’s age, Maybe you can recommend that I find a library book at the local library rather than ask what you personally think about it.

I’m not surprised at this point in my life but I am in awe of what ancient civilizations accomplished in terms of navigation, mathematics, astronomy and architecture.

I am surprised at how little we’ve progressed in terms of morality or intelligence or fairness in designing societies.

The continents drifted apart and were separated tens of millions of years before humans existed.

Here’s a picture showing how Pangaea (the super-continent) separated into our present day landmasses.

@Call_Me_Jay You mean the Beatles didn’t arrive in the US because of continental drift?

I don’t know how the Beatles arrived but they flew out from Miami Beach BOAC.

That brings back some memories. Glad the Beatles are still popular. Some of those early groups are only revered by their original audiences.

The 2,000 year old Dujiangyan flood control and irrigation system in western china is still in use today.

@Call Me Jay and @ScienceChick

I know quite a bit about the age of the Earth, thank you.

I wrote an extensive dossier on West Norden en lieu of the language requirement in college, and a paper on Caldonian Ogeny—and have contributed to Wikipaedia on the topics.

I am published but not a scholar or expert.

I also worked to get the Appalachian Trail extended internationally because of the geological and cultural ties between the Appalachians and the mountains of Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia.

You can have Africa; ., I know people who have done a lot of Missionary work there. My specialty is the Caldonian Ogeny its home to me and I hope I go there when I die.

There is no place called ‘West Norden’ so I don’t know what you think you’re talking about.

@ScienceChik Greenland, Iceland, the Shetlands, Orkney (not “THE Orkneys but a s a singular place) the Faeroe Islands, comprise West Norden. They are geographically one region, and have a thousand-year-old tradition of herdsmen, Celtic hermits, fishing, and the Crofting culture. .They are Viking and Celtic, and many things about their culture has not changed over millennia

@seawulf575 made the comment about the accomplishments of the Vikings. not me. For some reason, you see that as racist, You called people who are into the Viking culture “racist pieces of shit.” If that is racist, to have reverence for the Vikings, let me just say in all seriousness that there are many fascinating indigenous cultures in the world; many geographic and geopolitical regions, Some of us have made almost a fulltime career exploring them with whatever resources we have, and for myself and others I’ve met, these interests go back sometimes even to mid childhood.

I remember when I was nine years old, really wanting to go on an excursion with the scouts to the fjords of Norway. I’d be old enough in time for the trip, but my scoutmaster did not think I was old enough or ready, Missing out on that might have spurred my interest,

I do not consider people who call others racist pieces of shit to have any credulity in trying to understand the world or make the world a better place. Why do they teach about Vikings in universities if we or they are racists?

Well, the Mayan culture is certainly fascinating—my sister has gone on archaeological digs there. The Native South American cultures, the Native Americans, and the Egyptians have been her interests. I know a lot about the Incas and the Mayans from her. I myself am quite ecclectic As for your message to me—well, I do not hold any one political premise but try to show one side what the other is saying. I try to understand all sides. But what I see from the left shows some powerful hate and psychosis from a few individuals, For this reason, Fluther is NOT a good place to debate politics. It really sets some people off, and I have no idea how angry and impulsive they must be in their real lives outside Fluther.

I also want to acknowledge that most who discuss and debate these things such as politics, indigenous cultures ancient peoples, are liberal and open minded—not the activists of hate and division and calling others racist and posting filthy messages. You may not realize it, but it says a lot more about the person making the insults than it says about the person being called such things.

It’s called Vest Norden.

“Caldonian Ogeny” is another very odd spelling from someone so interested in the subject.

Maybe that’s the way they spell it in Bible college?

Yes, Orogeny not a word I use often. but I do have a dissertation on it in 1989. Its in the Mississippi Valley Collection at the University of Memphis. Never been to Bible College (went to MTS for my masters, a theological school but not very biblical). It is simply titled that. Caldonian Orogeny (hope I spelled it right), The one on the Crofting Culture of West Norden is titled Herdsmen and Hermits. I forget the subtitle. Its also in the Mississippi Valley Collection / Special Collections at the University of Memphis.

The Caldonian and Scandinavian mountains are geologically formed with the Appalachians. That’s why I advocated extending the Appalachian Trail there. It is now being done.

Remember this all started with someone saying I didn’t know how old the earth was based on a joke I made about continental drift, If you have nothing better to do than hate, and getting hate off one’s chest seems to be the purpose of Fluther, I’ll end my part of the discussion.

I don’t know how disagreeing with what you said… because you suggested that people ended up in South America from continental drift, equate to a ‘hate crime’..... Really. But keep that victim hood going. It’s a good look on you.

Your area was closer to Africa. http://www.iat-sia.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=169&cntnt01returnid=21

@ScienceChick Do you believe everyone who admires the Vikings are racist pos? What if we like and admire the others, too? There’s a huge upsurge in Viking fans in the US because of a popular tv show.

@KNOWITALL Of course not. I know folks in the SCA. They dress up in period clothing (or as close as they can manage) and wear accoutrement of the characters, country and period they are trying to replicate. I offer them my contacts and translation skills, (I read and speak Danish). My friends are currently having a difficult time because there are elements in the SCA that use the opportunity to wear swastica on their garments and thors hammer around their necks and sunwheels on their shields. Now, without getting to know these people personally, we don’t know if they are wearing it because of the symbolism that was adopted by the Nazis or that they are ignorant of the fact that those symbols have lost their ancient meanings and wearing them publicly represents something else in the 21st century. That’s why the term ‘Schrodinger Medievalist’ was coined. When I watched the news about Charlottesville and saw all the Celtic and Viking icons being used like that right next to neo nazi flags, it just makes me angry on many levels. I think, if you don’t live over here with actual birth ties to the ancient culture, you should perhaps leave it alone or at the very least, be responsible and don’t misuse it. The closest I can compare is perhaps how Americans feel when their flag is burned.

@Science Makes much more sense now, thanks.