How can there be tribes still on this Earth who have not progressed and evolved from the cave man life?

Question

When we have come so far technologically. They have just discovered a totally "uncontacted tribe" in the rainforest. When you think of the Roman Empire, the art and architecture of Europe, the technology of Japan, America and everything else around the world---how could these people be so frozen in time?

Answer 1

I agree its pretty strange! It makes me wonder if there are any more advanced creatures in the universe that look at us in a similar way that we look at this tribe of "cavemen".

Answer 2

Because no one knew about them......and plus, they may not want to go with modern ways, but stay in the bounds of their traditions.  Nothing wrong with that.   We can't force them to modernize anyway.  One good thing, these people don't know stress, they don't have ADAD, they're not worried about the lastest fad or styles, they don't need the services of a shrink,  and they probably don't care what we think of them.  I'm sure they just want to be left alone.

Answer 3

Uh, WE havent' evolved since prehistoric times, when everyone lived like those people. Humankind hasn't changed physically at all.

There's no reason to suppose everyone would develop the sorts of technology that has lead to, for instance, our typing onto these machines and thereby communicating with each other.

How far would you, personally, have gotten toward technological development, or inventing art, or building aquaducts?

My point is that all the stuff we have, and that others had before us, was built on a foundation of people before them, and others before them, for thousands of years.

AND, no one culture has come up with everything; they traded with and learned from people from a variety of cultures to get where they got.

So, if you have a much more isolated and small group, it's really no wonder that they wouldn't have developed all the technology-based stuff.

I haven't read whatever you're talking about, but I bet anything they have art (though not the styles we have, due to not having the technology for canvass and oils, for instance); and literature (though not written or printed in mass copies, but told, and refined over the generations); and music.

They haven't been "frozen in time," they just haven't had contact with other groups -- or much contact with other groups, more likely.

It's not physical evolution that distinguishes us from those who lived thousands of years ago, but technology, and then all the stuff that technology has made possible. All made possible by the numbers of people and variety of cultures pooling all of their best thinking over thousands of years.

Answer 4

They aren't.  Culture isn't a progression, and a group that maintains a hunter/gatherer lifestyle isn't necessarily less complicated and culturally rich than an agricultural group.  Us agriculturalists do tend to be rather complicated materially, but we stay in place so we can acquire a lot of goods, and there are just a lot _more_ of us.  Look at the Australian aboriginals, though.  Yes, their culture wasn't as technologically advanced as other societies.  However, their spiritual ideas are as rich and complicated as anything you'll find in the West.  Also, they clearly have a h**l of a lot of knowledge, as they are able to survive in what's got to be one of the suckiest environments on this planet.

Evolution, both biological and cultural, doesn't have a _goal_.  Cultures change, but what they were before isn't necessarily worse than what they are now.  As long as they keep surviving, it doesn't matter whether they get more or less complicated.

Answer 5

Natural selection is adaptation to a given environment/situation that ends in reproductive success. If they hadn't evolved they wouldn't be here. What you have is this ethnocentric belief that your culture is better than theirs. Maybe you think all of these technologies are important because you were raised around them, their importance has been reinforced for you. But maybe their cultural evolution involves things that you think are "uncivilized" and maybe they'd think that we're pretty silly. Just because some people are different doesn't mean that they're frozen in time or that they haven't evolved. It just means they're different from you.

I don't mean to lecture but you came in to the anthropology section and hit on a particularly sensitive spot. The concept that tribal people are less evolves is waaay old school and that concept has been the root of some pretty horrible crimes against humanity.

Answer 6

Because they are the "lucky ones"...they have been satisfied with the "Garden of Eden" and haven't had the need to live outside the laws of nature.

They are simply part of the circle of life, living with what their environment has provided.

Obviously they have been "successful", or they would not have survived for this long.

BTW you can LIVE without "technology" or what ever else you think is so"advanced".

Have you ever considered the idea that it is them, NOT US who are the Wise ones,that they are truly "enlightened".

The Irony that I see in our Western way of Life is that...

the Most Successful ( ie:Rich) individuals make a ton of $$$$ and then

they go and BUY a Remote Island or Piece of property to GET AWAY from all of the "technology" and advanced civilization.

PEACE  &

I really hope these people are left alone

Answer 7

i dont really think ppl understand your question you want to know if they dont know about the rest of us and if they have lived isolated with no idea that we are even here right?

Answer 8

I wonder do they look human since they've been isolated from the rest of us.  Or do they look like the first humans ???

Answer 9

look at the caveman on tv in the car commercials he's civilized. hahah

Answer 10

No need.

Answer 11

sorry but your way of thinking is very old-fashioned.

in the enlightened period people thought that tribes/people could develop to a higher/or as you call it far.

this is not an idea of evolution. this are people who just didn't had contact with people outside there own tribe.

we know nothing about them and can say little about their way of life.

maybe they have beautiful other techniques use full for them. who say that they do not have art of them self?

if you do not need something you will not miss it either.

their way of life of what we just have seen is suitable for them.

Answer 12

Primarily lack of adequate infrastructure and educational resources.