AHC: a surviving "Lost World/Civilization" discovered in 20th century

Hnau

Banned
I propose a POD: one of the Incas pushes for trade with the Amazon River societies and the increased contact promotes more "civilization". One of the more isolated societies (best located probably on a tributary of either the Jurua or Purus Rivers) performs the strange feat of adapting quickly to what they've learned from the Incans and just as quickly changing all of the sudden (religious upheaval?) to become extremely xenophobic. They begin killing all outsiders on sight. When the European diseases show up, they also become highly effective at putting anyone showing symptoms straight to the sacrificial pyres.

The society that survives until the 20th century may be very small and very unlikable, but they might fit your criteria. They would probably have even less complex of a society than the Tawantinsuyu, because really, how much can you pick up in at most a 100 years, but that's the best you can get in my opinion. :)
 

Flubber

Banned
I propose a POD: one of the Incas pushes for trade with the Amazon River societies and the increased contact promotes more "civilization".


It's generally understood now that civilized societies occupied a large part of the Amazon river basin up until European contact. Satellite imagery and deforestation have combined to reveal just how extensive those civilizations were. Those civilizations were also responsible for the widespread presence of terra preta in the Amazon Basin.

Much like de Soto in what would become the US southeast in North America, the first European to travel the Amazon from the Andes to the Atlantic, Orellana, reported substantial populations in large villages and towns with earthworks, roadways, temples, and other feats of civil engineering. Again, much like de Soto, the explorers who followed Orellana over a generation later found nothing at all thanks to the Columbian Exchange.

The Amazon hosted civilizations well before the Inca founded their empire in 1438.
 

Hnau

Banned
It's generally understood now that civilized societies occupied a large part of the Amazon river basin up until European contact. Satellite imagery and deforestation have combined to reveal just how extensive those civilizations were. Those civilizations were also responsible for the widespread presence of terra preta in the Amazon Basin.

Much like de Soto in what would become the US southeast in North America, the first European to travel the Amazon from the Andes to the Atlantic, Orellana, reported substantial populations in large villages and towns with earthworks, roadways, temples, and other feats of civil engineering. Again, much like de Soto, the explorers who followed Orellana over a generation later found nothing at all thanks to the Columbian Exchange.

The Amazon hosted civilizations well before the Inca founded their empire in 1438.

Well, yes, I've read 1491 as well and if you knew anything about me, you'd know I've played around with the Amazonian civilizations in ATLs before. But, the fact remains that the Incans were more technological than those societies based on the Amazon River. What I'm suggesting is an infusion of Incan technology followed by the development of an extremely xenophobic culture that would provide some kind of bulwark against European diseases.
 
What if a group of Nordic Viking types manage to stay alive above the Artic Circle in Greenland? Maybe they could survive by fishing and hunting seals, whales - maybe even using the whale oil for fuel to keep warm in place of firewood? They could maybe cultivate seaweed as a dietary supplement. They might even be able to burn it to keep warm.

Not sure what they'd use for building materials. They'd probably build great big tents, but I'm not sure that satisfies the "civilization" part of things, since I'm assuming there would need to be some kind of settlement with buildings more permanent than that? Maybe they could carve a town/city out of the glacial ice? Or maybe whole rib cages of whales could be covered with hide? Or maybe they'd find enough rock to put together houses? Not sure if they have the right materials to make cement/concrete.

Of course, they'd be discovered once more and more research vessels and like that start making stops up there. Or, maybe because of the Arctic climate change.

Hey! This is my 10th official post! I made double digits! Qua-HOON!
 
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