[Black Agnes]

Good book you should read, entitled 'Armies of Pestilence'. Most of the American civilization was sacked by teeny tiny microbial thingies. The natives were exposed within a 50-100 year timeframe to 4 or 5 microbes it'd taken Europe 2000 years (roughly) to acclimate to. Their population simply couldn't handle the loss of knowledge and expertise. The pitiful numbers of Europeans chasing them did the rest. Sad really. If the civilizations hadn't been so long w/o significant contacts the native cultures might have persisted, or at least given the white man a run for his money.

[RightWhale]

There have been threads on FR about that subject, I don't know if that particular book, but the general idea. I was referring to the theft and destruction of records. There is about one cryptic manuscript left from all of Central America.

[Carry_Okie]

I am not an adherent of that "smallpox theory." There was too much trade over the previous 4,000 years between North America and elsewhwere for the assumption of total isolation to hold that much credibility. That disease was a factor is indisputable. I just don't think it the single explanation.