Mayan’s made salt… Are you surprised?

I have been reading on and on in different feeds how they have discovered that ancient Mayan’s made salt. What’s the big deal about it?

We make salt too. Any two year old can make salt if he is near the sea. There isn’t much technology involved and it isn’t rocket science to guess.

The problem is with our mindset. We simply assume that all the ancient people were dumb and we are the only intelligent ones around.

The funny part is how the scientists(?) love to spin such a non-event into something high-sounding and important:

“To me the exciting thing is that, in addition to the paddle … these saltworks that we have found in the lagoon indicate the importance of non-state-controlled production in pre-industrial societies,” said Heather McKillop of the Department of Geography and Anthropology at Louisiana State University, who led the study.

What made him think that “non-state-controlled production in pre-industrial societies” is surprising? In other words I question the veracity of such stupid assumption that production was state controlled in pre-industrial society.

What pains me is that millions of dollars go behind these stupid “discoveries” when the real need to cure today’s people of killer diseases like diabetes, AIDS, cancer remain under-funded. And yes there are millions dying in several parts of the world even as I write. I hope someday these people come to senses and devote their research grant in not digging up history of long-dead-Mayans but save the living people of the world.