The northern,
more isolated peoples, are the more primitive; the north-eastern,
whose isolation is accentuated by a severe environment, are most
primitive of all. The Eskimo, whether they are the survivors of
the Magdalenian race or a regiment thrown off the Asiatic army as
it entered America, remain at the primitive level. The American
peoples in turn accord with this view. Those which penetrate
furthest south remain stagnant or deteriorate; those which remain
in the far north remain below the level of civilisation, because
the land-bridge to Asia breaks down; but those which settle in
Central America evolve a civilisation. A large zone, from Mexico
to Peru, was overspread by this civilisation, and it was
advancing steadily when European invaders destroyed it, and
reduced the civilised Peruvians to the Quichas of to-day.
There remain the civilisations of Asia, and here we have a new
and interesting aspect of the question. How did these
civilisations develop in Asia, and how is it that they have
remained stagnant for ages, while Europe advanced? The origin of
the Asiatic civilisations is obscure. The common idea of their
vast antiquity has no serious ground.
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