When we used to think of ancient peoples, we had some sort of idea that they weren't as intelligent as we were. I guess many of us thought that as we got more technologically advanced, we also gained bigger brains. Guess what, those people were wrong. If we look back at some of the great names in history it becomes apparent that they were smarter than most of us are today. A good example of this is some of the ancient Greek mathematicians and thinkers. Could any of us have built a pyramid in Egypt thousands of years ago with only bronze and stone tools and made it so accurate that it would be hard to duplicate today with modern tools? What has happened is that we have acquired more experience as a race, but this is not intelligence. We probably have the same percentage of smart people around today that they had in the ancient times, of course there were a lot less people on the Earth in those days.

Nazca Lines, the hummingbird
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One thing that makes me laugh is when we look at something that was either built, carved or constructed by the ancients and just because we don't understand it's purpose we say that such and such was just a decoration or made that way to appease some gods. There is a lot of this kind of thing going on at times. Our problem is that we don't have the entire picture in front of us. An example of this is the Nazca Lines. The Nazca Lines are quite famous. I am sure that almost everyone here has seen photos of them. There are animals carved into the earth that are so huge that they can only be recognized from the air. There are also lines that are reminiscent of an air strip. The Nazca lines are in Peru and everyone assumes that they were created so the gods could see the carvings. While there is a chance that these people might be right, maybe, just maybe they might be wrong. So if this isn't the reason for the carvings what other reasons could there be? Maybe the area has hidden tombs under the ground and the decorations are a way of showing reverence for the deceased. Here is one for you, maybe these people had balloons and could see the carvings and they were a form of aerial art. What if space aliens landed and then left and the people carved the drawings to try and attract them back much as the "cargo plane" cult tried to get planes back to their island because they thought gods were inside them? The reason for this was that the planes flew over certain Pacific islands all through World War II and the natives, who never met any other people, would see them and when the war was over, the planes never came back.

Crystal Skulls
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What about those perfect crystal skulls that were found. Why would people spend maybe a hundred years years carving and polishing ancient crystal skulls? Why would comparatively modern people also carve crystal skulls? Oh you didn't know that some of these skulls are ancient, but some are also relatively modern? It is a fact, believe me. The reason for modern people to carve such skulls is probably just as artwork, so the real question is why did the ancients do it? First of all, it must have been very precious to them to invest such a long time to make these skulls. It could have been that the ancients thought that the skull had some sort of magical power or could tell the future. I say this because that is precisely what was believed by some about crystal balls. How much more powerful would a crystal skull be? Maybe there was a much more practical use for the skulls. Could that have been used to scare away primitive enemies by putting a light behind them at night, say in front of a hut entrance or even a cave? If you were a superstitious primitive human and came across such a sight at night, what would you think? Maybe some primitive doctor used the crystal skull as an aid in anatomical procedures?

Machu Picchu
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There are also things that we can not seem to figure out the "HOW' of, but we can't figure the "WHY" of either. Why did the Incas build Machu Picchu on top of a mountain and how did they lug up all the heavy rock that they needled for the construction? The Incas were a very smart people who were able to conquer everyone in their sphere of Influence. They divided their empire up into four quarters as it was easier to rule. If you ask why Machu Picchu was built on a mountain you will probably hear that it was a retreat for royalty, or something of this nature. Why would they want to have to climb to the top of a mountain? I would think that this would be a little tiring. Maybe they thought that they were closer to heaven? Could the city have been built for another reason? How about this scenario, the Inca Royalty fearing invasion someday, decides to build a hidden city that they can retreat to and that would be very hard to find? Being on top of a mountain it would be much easier to defend. This would also give impetus to carrying huge rocks up the mountain, suddenly it would become worth it.

So what are all those holes that were carved in the rocks near Pisco Valley, in Peru and why would someone do that? From the air the holes look like some sort of tread mark, they stretch about a mile through the valley and are said to be definitely man made. The archeologists have thought about these holes and have come up with an explanation. They think that the holes were created to store grain. Yeah, sure, someone is going to chip holes into solid rock and then only make them the size of a man when it would be so much simpler to dig one large hole in the ground or make a shelter for the grain. Why are the holes the size of a man? When I look at these holes and how close together they are, I can't help but think of a fox hole. Fill them with troops or put heavy stakes into them and you have a formidable defensive line. A second idea that comes to mind is a rainwater collection system. How about this far out idea? We know that the ancients knew what a battery was, what if all these holes represented electrical batteries and were filled with vinegar and a electrode inserted into them? There were enough holes to generate a good current for some use unknown. Some of the holes are much deeper than others with the deepest being about 7 feet deep and the shallowest being just started. Could the holes represent what is left of some sort of primitive giant abacus?

There are so many things that we could talk about where there are preconceived notions. I am one that never likes to see people so sure of themselves when really all they are doing is making an educated guess. I am not saying that they are wrong, just that there are usually many other avenues open to us when we are trying to figure things out. It is tough for someone with maybe only an amateur interest in something to try and challenge a so called expert who is sporting a doctorate, but there have been many times in history where some of these people were absolutely sure they were right and that couldn't have been further from the truth. I believe that we have to approach these things with a much more open mind. As I said in the beginning of this article, some of the remains we see today may have been part of a much more elabrate structure and since that structure may have been long gone, it makes it much harder to figure things out. Another very important point is the sociability of the people we are examining. How did they live? This might just help us figure out why they did what they did. All in all, we must remember to consider everything when we are trying to decide why ancient peoples did what they did.