So this is a spinoff of my
No North American Megafauna Extinction thread. That thread ended up becoming a discussion of how the extinction of the North American megafauna could be avoided. This one will focus on the aftermath.
Our starting point:
The Younger Dryas cold period doesn't have nearly the same impact it did in our timeline, lessening the impact of the Pleistocene extinction. While their numbers are reduced, and some species perish, most genera of North American megafauna survive. In particular, North America will have horses, camels, mammoths, direwolves, and saber-toothed cats. The first three will be available as beasts of burden - assume they are as domesticable as their Old World counterparts. The latter will have no real impact on technology, but will play a major role in North American culture. If you can think of any other animals that might be useful, I'm happy to throw them in, but I want there to be SOME extinction.
I've had a few thoughts on how things might proceed:
1.
The cradle of American civilization will likely be Mesoamerica. Historically, that was where agriculture first developed independently in the New World. I see the Olmecs serving as our equivalent of Sumer and Babylon. Of course, there will be key differences related to climate - where the first civilizations in the Old World inhabited a desert, those in the New World will inhabit a jungle.
2.
The Caribbean might serve as an equivalent to the Mediterranean. If nothing else, it will be a critical laboratory for maritime technology. But unlike the Med, the Caribbean isn't well sheltered from the Atlantic, especially in the hurricane department. This might actually force naval tech to advance more quickly, or it might hold it back.
3.
I think the eastern US will be our Europe. North America's geography might lend itself better to a China-type hegemony, but I'd rather not go that route. The Sioux will become our equivalent of the Mongols and Tatars.
4.
I'm also wondering what will become of the Inca and the West Coast peoples. There will have to be some discussion as to why the Inca never reached the Bronze Age, and whether they might pull it off in this timeline. I also think that a distinct civilization could emerge on the West Coast, which has significant geographic barriers to contact. Something like East Asia without China and India's sheer size.
So, without further ado, let the speculation begin!