I Thought This BBC Documentary might be of Interest

Post Reply New Topic

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09zr3uUmJSQ&feature=gv&hl=es[/youtube]

When Egypt was building the Great Pyramids, during the Early Dynastic Period of Sumer and while all that would be come the great civilizations of the Mesoamericans, West Africans, Europeans and the East Asians were still at chiefdom level society at best, in the coastal desert of what is now known as Peru, the Norte Chico Civilization flourished.

Their center, probably more of a great ritual center like much later Chavín de Huantar or Cahuachi than an Old World-like urban area like later Wari, Chan Chan or Qusqu, thrived on trade, developed astonishingly advanced textiles and even (proto-)writing, all without warfare or human sacrifice as well as without metal or even ceramics. They lasted almost a millennium without warfare, longer than any other period in civilized human history.

For more information from this (very) novice self-taught Andeanist, have a look at these sites and papers (I had to look for free sites so that those without a subscription to JSTOR can access them):

http://www.holcimfoundation.org/Portals ... ezJohn.pdf

http://www.flutopedia.com/dev_flutes_americas.htm

http://www.hallofmaat.com/modules.php?n ... cle&sid=85

http://archaeology.about.com/od/ancient ... lquipu.htm

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1269

Bump. I am surprised no one has responded given that this is such a trafficked forum with so many diverse interests. Thus, I will give people the benefit of the doubt and help them see this post. Indeed, with the post on "Indigenous Nature Ethics" going rather strong I am quite stunned no one has interest in this.

Bump again; this documentary really is fascinating.

I would love to watch it but my old computer cant get posted videos anymore.

Maybe I can barrow a friends computer.

But I didnt know that there were any significant New world civilizaitons that far back- if they were contemporary with the Pyramids at Gizeh that would put them past 2500 BC.

Later Andean cultures were quite into human sacrifice- rivaling Mexico in gruesomeness.

Actually this reminds me- they discovered that ceremonial center in southern Turkey that seems to be the worlds oldest relgious site. They discover amazing amazingly old stuff in both old and in the New World.

It consists of large erect stones vaguely like Stonehenge, but with smooth polished stones adorned with carved animals- and its thousands of years older than stonehenge ( which was also contemporary with Egypts Pyramid building phase.

The video is truly wonderful so it is a shame you cannot watch it as of now.

Yes, from the Early Intermediate Period on at the latest, human sacrifice was common in Andean Civilizations; however, even the Moche mass sacrifices of adolescents is nothing comparable to the sacrifice of any Mesoamerican Civilization: The much later Inka Empire probably sacrificed less than 100 people per year and in a far less bloody manner (by numbing up the victims with drugs and then letting them freeze to death atop a mountain peak) than the Mesoamerican Civilizations did. I honestly do not think the Inka (whose creation myth even mentions the quasi-legendary Manqu Qhapaq banning human sacrifice?!) were even remotely similar to the Aztecs, the Maya or the Zapotecs and arguably were more like the Benin Empire or Sumer with regards to Human Sacrifice.

Are you talking about Göbekli Tepe? Göbekli Tepe is much older than the pyramids of Giza but far smaller and less advanced than either the Norte Chico Civilization or Old Kingdom Egypt.

Yes. I meant "older than stonehenge"- and that stonehenge was "contemporary with the pyramids" so gobekli tepe is older than both stonehenge and the pyramids.Just to be clear.