Originally Posted by
MVPlaya
Seems nitpicky but your understanding of Mayan culture is way off base.
Mayans, for example, had the world's finest plumbing system, it is, in fact, one of the many discoveries anthropologists and archaeologists made when studying Mayan ruins. The Mayan empire had some of the world's densest and largest urban areas, had the widest infrastructure with plumbing and sewage disposal, and had better sanitation than Europe did at the time. European practice was to shit in a bucket and throw it out the window hoping the rain would drain it away. If it didn't, oh well, you learn to live with the smell.
The irony, of course, is that the significantly worse hygiene of Europeans, coupled with the many disease outbreaks that killed off much of Europe, left Europeans equipped with a stronger immune system when they traveled to America, leading to 90% of America's indigenous people dying and only a small portion of the European conquerors.
No shit compared to Europe of even the Middle Ages. Compared to today? I don't think so. They didn't put a satellite into orbit either, unless you are going to argue that they did somehow soon. Plumbing is one of the thousands of examples I can come up that they were lacking in. It wasn't the point itself, it was meant to support. They had water canals and some sewage so they were more advanced than what? Apes? or Europeans of that time? wait Apes had Europeans beat so what the hell.
"Why are you an atheist?"
"because I paid attention in science class."