North American Indians, Intelligence, and Civilization

Discussion in 'Human Science' started by Prince_James, Jan 14, 2007.

  1. Prince_James Plutarch (Mickey's Dog) Registered Senior Member

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    Might there be a link with the average intelligence of North American Indians and their lack of capacity to progress past a pre-civilized state of nomadism and minor settled living?

    Central American Indians managed to secure themselves significant kingdoms loosely analogous to Sumeria and Egypt. Although their language consisted of knots on a rope, they nonetheless managed to accomplish much.

    Are these people known to have been smarter than their Northern cousins?
     
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  3. Roman Banned Banned

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    Yes.
     
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  5. Prince_James Plutarch (Mickey's Dog) Registered Senior Member

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    Roman:

    Facetious or do you have any studies off hand?
     
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  7. Roman Banned Banned

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    I figured it was what you wanted to hear. You won't listen to anything otherwise.
     
  8. Prince_James Plutarch (Mickey's Dog) Registered Senior Member

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    I don't listen to unsubstantiated nonsense, no.
     
  9. Roman Banned Banned

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    You mean like:

     
  10. Prince_James Plutarch (Mickey's Dog) Registered Senior Member

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  11. redarmy11 Registered Senior Member

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  12. Roman Banned Banned

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    The Incas were not a Central American civilization.

    The notable Central American civlizations were the Aztec and Maya, who had a picto-language, as well as lots of math (used a base 20 counting system based of the jaguar or something).
     
  13. Roman Banned Banned

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    Roman WWWINNNNNNNNSSSSS!!! CELEBRATORY KEG STANDS FOR ALL!! WOOOO!!!!!!
     
  14. Dr Lou Natic Unnecessary Surgeon Registered Senior Member

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    Does anyone here know any native americans personally?
    What are they good at?
    I've not heard that they're good sportsmen or anything like that, nor have I heard of any native american comedians, or anything at all. It's weird.

    Australian aborigines are considered fairly useless by many for their weaknesses in adapting to modern western society, but they definately have their strengths, they've got really hard heads and great hand eye coordination, they make great boxers and relentless foes in street fights, generally even the toughest whities try and avoid them.
    Winning is an ordeal barely more tolerable than losing.
    They're really fast, and have good hands, many pro athletes are aborigines.
    Although they're generally quite slight and not very strong.
    Their athletic technique and sense of rhythm are good, generally coordinated when it comes to running, jumping, throwing and catching.
    They aren't exactly dominating the charts, but they are fairly musically oriented and naturally skilled at learning to play different instruments.
    They're also quite charismatic and funny alot of the time, with infectious mannerisms. Constantly inventing new words and sayings.

    Alot like negroes when it comes down to it I suppose, but an older design.
    Probably weaker but maybe a little more scrappy and gritty.

    I'm not really aware of native american strengths. They're quiet and polite?
    They like a drink and a bet?
    Actually they seem to share the latter with aborigines, not being particularly well prepared to handle alcohol and other temptations.
    But yeah I'm not aware of any native american pro athletes, no native american musicians, no comedians.
    Do they do anything?
    You constantly hear about the stereotypical old philosophies and wise words of native americans from the past, but have they in any way put these skills to use in the modern world? Any native american authors or film makers?
    There was that giant indian in one flew over the cuckoo's nest, but are they commonly big and powerfull like that?
    I'm genuinely curious, I'm a crude 19th century anthropologist at heart.
     
  15. Prince_James Plutarch (Mickey's Dog) Registered Senior Member

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    Redarmy11:

    The National Geographic article explains the knots were used for more than just accounting, but tax records were an important part of it.

    Roman:

    I'll give you the "central American" thing.

    Anyway, in regards to the pictorial languages: This also demonstrates what seems to be higher intelligence amongst the Central American Indians corresponding to their significantly more developed culture compared to those in North America.

    Seriously: Any studies done on this? Because even the lack of a written language screams lower intelligence possibilities in North American v. Central and South American Indians.
     
  16. Oniw17 ascetic, sage, diogenes, bum? Valued Senior Member

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    I've tried a couple of different searches, it doesn't seem like it.
     
  17. redarmy11 Registered Senior Member

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    To me it screams 'no use for a written language' or, possibly, 'all evidence destroyed' (the Spanish were enthusiastic in destroying those Inca ropes).

    Probably I'd go with the first option: how many books on buffalo hunting do you actually need? Native americans were closely tied to nature, and saw it as divine. Maybe they didn't want to swap it for factories and smog. To automatically assume that a simple life implies low intelligence is... simplistic.
     
  18. Prince_James Plutarch (Mickey's Dog) Registered Senior Member

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    Oniw17:

    Thanks for your assistance!

    Redarmy11:

    Considering nomadic peoples in Eurasia were quick to lust after the fruits of civilization (the Hunnic/Mongolian/Tartar peoples come to mind) it would seem that many people really do want to "settle down".

    Moreover, the idea that nature is divine is in some sense shared by everyone the world over. All polytheistic religions essentially affirm such a thing.
     
  19. Dr Lou Natic Unnecessary Surgeon Registered Senior Member

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    Realistically human populations which established civilisations are rare. Maybe many parts of the world have at one stage had a civilisation, but it's not like it's something most populations did. There's really only been a handfull of civilisations arising throughout history from countless human populations.
    Most of which remained tribal, even most of the white ones, at least untill being invaded/influenced by one of the few civilised societies.

    Most civilisations are related to one another. It's not something humans are "bound to automatically do unless something is wrong with them". It's kind of quirky and unusual behaviour.
    Native americans in no way "stand out" as weird for not making great civilisations.

    The south american civilisations are what stand out as weird to me, especially how they independently came to the pyramid idea just like the egyptians. It's not like egyptians and mayans share a pyramid building ancestral culture, they're not closely related at all, and there are many cultures each is more closely related to without civilisations of any kind, let alone pyramids.
    They seperated as primitive tribes ages ago and then much later on, once they were on opposite sides of the planet, they simultaneously and independently thought "let's make giant impractical triangular mountains of stone", like no people had donr before and like no one ever would again.
    Has this phenomenon ever been adequately explained?

    Despite a lack of evidence it almost seems most realistic and rational to assume egyptians boated over the atlantic to south america at some stage.
    That's less far fetched than the idea of south american indians independently having the same light bulb moment as egyptians on the other side of the world.
     
  20. IceAgeCivilizations Banned Banned

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    Many of the ancients were master mariners, they measured Earth distances and directions by predicting the future positions of stars vis-a-vis the rate of precession (72yrs/degree), so the Asians who settled and built the Andes megalithic structures sailed across the Pacific circa 2000 B.C., building the megalithic structures on many Pacific islands, and some went on to South America.

    The megalithic structures of earliest Mexico were built by the Olmecs, who had sailed across from the Gibraltar region (Atlan) circa 2000 B.C. The Olmec writing resembles that of the ancient Libya-Manding people.
     
  21. Prince_James Plutarch (Mickey's Dog) Registered Senior Member

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    Dr. Lou Natic:

    Whereas I agree that most humans remain in a low state of civilization, it seems those that do develop civilization are found to be more intelligent. The Eurasian peoples are the most intelligent in the world and all have civilization and developed it natively. Low-intelligence people seemingly did not.
     
  22. IceAgeCivilizations Banned Banned

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    The Olmecs were "Atlanteans," from Morocco, who set up their megalithic city states, and the tribes radiated out from there, losing there technological knowledge over time. The tribes which moved into North America settled near ore deposits and mollusks (for pearls), up the tributaries of the Mississippi.

    The Phoenicians sailed up the Mississippi after 1500 B.C., to mine the Lake Superior region, this is why some of the tribes in that region have blue-eyed people.

    The megalithic city states of the Andes were built by the navigating Asians (Lapita people), and tribes migrated away from there as well, losing their skills over time and distance.
     
  23. Prince_James Plutarch (Mickey's Dog) Registered Senior Member

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    No they weren't. Now quiet.

    Stop derailing my thread and stop writing nonsense.
     

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