Indeed, I suspect that when one civilization displaces or conquers another, the side that had more technology gets to write the prevailing historical narrative of self-glorification. A shame really, seeing as western civilization still venerates the ancient Greek philosophers, despite their relative technological inferiority to modern society.

As i said I have only recently become aware of some of these ideas. I personally wonder whether I would have been much more fulfilled in life living as some of the Native Americans were in the 1600-1700's (I realize there is wide variation among cultural practices here). A community working together to provide the basic needs of food and shelter for all while ensuring personal liberty and autonomy is something we can't even manage with all of our 'scientific progress'.