What did the Indians know?

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Here's a question on my mind, which I think I might have a hard time finding the answer to: How far did the knowledge of the Americas of different American Indian groups range? It is clear, for instance, that groups living in what is now the northeastern United States knew the area well up into Canada and down at least as far as Virginia or North Carolina. But did they know anything about Florida? Texas? Where they aware that there was an Aztec civilization somewhere in the far distance? Would they have known of the Arctic regions to the north of them?

Even in the Internet age, This sort of fact can be hard to find, because it's not clear, at least to me, just how to ask for it from a search engine

Comments

  1. Ken B2:25 PM

    I'd search on the distribution of artifacts. Partly becuase I think that's the only really good evidence we'd have, maybe some comments in early Jesuit accounts, and partly because I can't come up with anything better! So I'd look for evidence of Mexiacan artifacts up north to start.

    Of course corn (maize) is the best example of ideas and objects spreading but I know of no evidence the Huron say took corn as anything but a given by the time the Jesuits arrived. We know for certain it spread from Mexico.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. gcallah5:49 PM

      Ken not a bad idea but i want someone who has already done this search to tell, not to have to do the search!

      Delete

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