On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 18:16:44 -0500, "George" george@least wrote:

wrote in message
roups.com...

George wrote:
"Denis Marier" wrote in message
...
Every where we hear that they did not use the wheel.
I wonder if these civilizations have ever use a tool like the lathe
to
produce crafts.

Apparently the wheel was not known to them, though I believe there
are known
wheeled toys from the Aztec.

It's a bit of a problem for Mormon theology, as the wheel would have
been
well-known to the Israelites. It's also a bit strange that the
"aliens"
never passed along the modest technology of the wheel while teaching
the
Amerinds all the advanced math and astronomy. Perhaps their
"chariots" had
no wheels, in spite of Von Daniken..


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I don't know about the \Aztecs, but the Myans did indeed know about a
Wheel. It was a Holy symbol, and therefore, they would not use it for
anything a mundain as a tool. Their calander is round.
The Other Bruce


Is a circle a wheel?

With no axle, it's just a circle.


With an advanced astronomical calendar, it's almost certainly a wheel.
It seems fairly impossible that they would not be aware of the wheel,
but it is possible that they did not use them for religious reasons.
Look at Islam- in many cases, it is absolutely taboo for a Muslim to
create an image of any living creature, hence the geometric art that
is so prevelent in that society. It's not that these folks are
unaware that they could make a picture of a person, it's just that
they feel that they are commiting hubris by trying to replicate the
works of Allah, IIRC. The same logic applies to the Mayans and
Aztecs.

I don't know about turned wood, but I'm pretty sure they had turned
pottery, so it's quite possible they had lathes as well. It's always
possible for even the most devotely devoted peoples to find a way
around their scripture when necessity calls.
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam