In a recent article on interstellar travel, Frederick Smith, one of the leading contributors to this illustrious website, drew an analogy between the clash of civilizations that would take place if we earthlings were confronted with technologically superior aliens, and the historical clash that took place between the Spaniards as they invaded the lands of the Indians of South America. Let me quote this cosmonautically progressive author's words:

"What would happen to the human race if we met aliens one million years more advanced? Would it cause irreparable harm to us, like the South American Indians who were only 100 years behind the Spaniards technologically when they came knocking? Would really advanced aliens with god-like powers work together for some cosmic goal, or would they hide from each other, doing their best to remain invisible? Could it be that the thing to be most feared in all the universe is another sentient race, perhaps the only real danger to any super-advanced civilization, like two adult male crocodiles of equal strength?"

Since Smith did not interpose a comma after the word "Indians", one might conclude that he thinks that only some Indians were only 100 years behind the Spaniards and others were farther behind. However, in reality, there were no Indians in South America that were anywhere near being only 100 years behind the Spaniards.

This is not to suggest that Spaniards are innately more inclined towards technology than the South American Indian tribes. But Spain, being a part of mainland Europe, with a heritage traceable to Rome, Greece and Egypt, and with the benefit of over 700 years of Islamic Moorish influence, had at its disposal many contrivances and techniques that the Indians probably would not have devised in less than 1000 or 2000 years on their own initiative. I think it would be fairer to compare the Incas with the Pharaohs, and even in so doing, it is immediately obvious that they still lagged considerably.

Just let me mention a few of the things that the South American Indians lacked, whether or not through their own fault:

The Incas never developed a system of writing, but rather used knotted cords that it took rememberers to decipher. These cords are now dead letters.

The Incas had no durable beasts of burden. Llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and guanacos are much smaller and weaker than oxen and camels.

The Incas never invented the wheel, and therefore had no carts or wagons for hauling goods.

The Incas had no real ships, but were limited to rafts, canoes and small boats, certainly in no position to cross oceans.

The Incas used bronze tools and weapons, but never mastered iron, and therefore lacked plows of the kind used in Spain. They turned the soil with stone and bronze digging tools.

The Incas did not have a monetary system, but relied upon services and barter for the acquisition of the necessities of life.

The Incas lacked gunpowder, and cannon and firearms of all kinds. Their weapons were bows and arrows, clubs, rocks and blowpipes.

The Incas had some rudimentary forms of arithmetic, but much has been lost because of their reliance on knotted cords to record transactions.

And of course there were many everyday items that the Spaniards used that were unknown to the Incas, for example, mirrors, razors, scissors, compasses, clocks, and screws, bolts and nails.

The Incas never invented doors, chairs or beds.

The Incas were great builders, which the extant temples and roads attest. They worked gold, silver and bronze. They spun and wove. They had fire. They cultivated a number of edible plants. But basically, the average Quechua Indian lived very close to nature, in a Stone Age or at best a Bronze Age environment.

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About the author Thomas Keyes: I have written two books: A SOJOURN IN ASIA (non-fiction) and A TALE OF UNG (fiction), neither published so far.

I have studied languages for years and traveled extensively on five continents.

Email: udikeyes@yahoo.com

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