Savagery.

I have to admit, I'm a big fan of the show Globe Trekker. Through it, one can travel the world vicariously and learn a lot about other cultures and histories. In an episode, La Ruta Maya: Belize, Yucatan and Guatemala, the traveler mentioned how the Mayans had invented the concept of zero centuries before the Old World, and used a calendar that is more accurate than the one we use today.

During the 13th century, in what is considered the Dark Ages in Europe, the Mayans cleared dense jungle, built canals and large structures, all without the aid of steel tools, the wheel, or beasts of burden, in the area of Caracol. The population of that ancient city is greater than that of present day Belize.

Yet these people were considered savages by the Europeans who came into contact with them when they arrived in the 16th century. Something to consider.

"You go back to the 17th century, when the commercial and industrial centers of the world were China and India. Life expectancy in Japan was greater than in Europe. Europe was kind of a barbarian outpost, but it had advantages, mainly in savagery." (Noam Chomsky)