In 1492, how far was the New World from its own Iron Age? Was it millennia off, or could it be expected within a few hundred years in the absence of European contact?
In 1492? About 290km (Greenland to Iceland).In 1492, how far was the New World from its own Iron Age?
In 1492, how far was the New World from its own Iron Age? Was it millennia off, or could it be expected within a few hundred years in the absence of European contact?
Never. They lacked the push to do it such as threatening empires and invasions.
I have heard the theory that it was the collapse of ancient trading networks that helped bring about widespread iron use as while iron is not as durable as bronze it is more common in the Old World. On the other hand the New World cultures did work bronze regularly it just wasn't adapted into weapons
Are you suggesting that empires and warfare didn't exist in the New World? Cause it's quite the contrary, in fact those things are usually seen as one of the defining traits of Pre-Columbian civilizations (at least in popular culture, anyways). Have you heard of the Aztecs by any chance?
Tribal warfare is hardly comparable to warfare existent in the old world. And so it was for 10K years without much change.
How do you define tribal warfare? It should be noted, the Xiongnu were a tribalistic power, as was the Arsacid, Sassanid, Urartian and so forth. They all were more than a match at times for the greatest of bureaucratic states.
By no desire to establish permanent territorial rule, by the main purpose of the warfare being raiding or hunting ground expansion. Sassanids didn’t limit themselves to stealing sheep they established a permanent foothold and an empire. Raiding for food or slaves is no basis for it.
But I also missed an important part and that is competition. There were empires in America but they were always without equal. No real competitor to spite technological advantage. Why develop rifles and gunpowder when you have the greatest force of elite knights in the world that no army can challenge.
But I also missed an important part and that is competition. There were empires in America but they were always without equal. No real competitor to spite technological advantage. Why develop rifles and gunpowder when you have the greatest force of elite knights in the world that no army can challenge.
Widespread nomadism in North America was a relatively new phenomena around the time of early European settlements in the modern-day U.S., wasn't it? I've heard that most of the population lived in mound cities and villages before diseases from the Columbian exchange sent them back into nomadism in time for early settlers to show up.I feel like people overlook that metallurgy was actually common place in the 'New World' because it doesn't play into the narrative they've been taught since they were small that the Amerind aboriginals were stone age primitives, a remarkably resilient untruth in need of being put to bed most desperately.
Widespread nomadism in North America was a relatively new phenomena around the time of early European settlements in the modern-day U.S., wasn't it? I've heard that most of the population lived in mound cities and villages before diseases from the Columbian exchange sent them back into nomadism in time for early settlers to show up.
I feel like people overlook that metallurgy was actually common place in the 'New World' because it doesn't play into the narrative they've been taught since they were small that the Amerind aboriginals were stone age primitives, a remarkably resilient untruth in need of being put to bed most desperately.