CH 6: Isolated

CH. 6 (Way of the Worlds): “The particular cultures and societies of Africa, the Americas, and Pacific Oceania discussed in this chapter developed largely in isolation.” What evidence would support this statement, and what might challenge it?

    Both agriculture and civilizations represent significant turning points in human experience, growth, economy, and exposure.  Population provides a statement in parts of Africa, the Americas, and Pacific Oceania which seemed were more contained and not widely populated and not as civilized or up to date as Eurasia and North Africa.   They continued to gather, hunt, and fish as their main source of food compared to where other parts of the world where things were at a larger scale plus seemed more equipped and advanced than they were.  Religions especially Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam spread more widely and influenced the lives of more people than did the traditions/religions of the Mayans or the Bantu-speaking peoples of Africa which were more centralized and known to people in that area as they knew only of what they grew up seeing and hearing or more accustom from being known from the outside world.  It's challenging as it seems that Eurasia has far more written records than either the Americas or Africa has, so historians continue to uncover and find more even til today.  There is always something new to learn and that's what makes this so interesting...