[aydyn]

> That's why the general public views our ancestors as 'primitive,' when in reality they possessed techniques many of which we've lost or still don't fully understand.

Well stated. We often forget that people in the past had the same exact minds and abilities as the people of today and were in no way inferior or "primitive". I think this accounts for a lot of presentism that leaks into our understanding of history.

[spwa4]

On the other hand, it's becoming pretty clear that the dark ages were not an exceptional period and that mostly, humans don't advance or even regress ... because they just don't see the point.