back to prehistoric savage

Chapter 273 Cultural exchange and export
Zhang Tian designated language class as the first class for international students, not only because language is a prerequisite for communication, but also for a more important reason: language is the carrier of culture, and the process of learning a language is essentially integrating into the local culture.

Although everyone is a primitive tribe, there are differences between primitive tribes, and the differences are huge.

This difference is not only reflected in material, but also in culture.

Culture is a collective term for all human spiritual activities and their products, including history, customs, traditional customs, lifestyles, religious beliefs, art, ethics, values, aesthetic tastes, spiritual totems, etc.

The tribes in Hexi belong to the same cultural circle. Their cultures are close to each other, but they are very different from the Taoyuan people. When both sides live together, friction and collision will inevitably occur due to cultural differences. This collision is reflected in all aspects.

Especially when they first arrived, international students were very unaccustomed to the lifestyle in Taoyuan.

First of all, Hexi people have no sense of time, while Taoyuan people are accustomed to measuring time in days, months, and years. When people talk about time, they can be accurate to the day of the month.

People in Hexi calculate days based on "now". If they describe the past and future, they have to use complex sentences such as: "The day before yesterday and the day before that."

Using this system, it is almost impossible to determine the exact date of an event once time has passed.

This makes it absolutely impossible to make an appointment with the Hexi people. They will wait a day or even several days before fulfilling the agreement, and they are surprised that the other party is angry.

From the perspective of Hexi people, time is not something that can be arranged. At least half of their disputes with Taoyuan people arise from this.

Chatting with them is also very difficult. The language barrier has set up barriers to communication, and their explanations are always roundabout, often driving the conversation partner crazy.

When Taoyuan people are interested in something and ask why they do it, Hexi people usually say: "Because it is good."

"Why is it good?"

"Because our ancestors asked us to do this."

The Taoyuan people asked slyly: "Why do our ancestors want you to do this?"

"Because it's good."

No matter what happens, Hexi people can attribute it to their ancestors, as if they are the beginning and end of all problems.

Hexi people also like to use conventional expressions, always describing the "should be" rather than "the current state" of things.

Zhang Tian still remembers that during the autumn gathering, the fleet of the Dachuan Tribe arrived late, and he asked Niu Wa which river was the river.

Niu Wa replied seriously: "The man with the pearl necklace around his neck."

Zhang Tian glanced back and forth in the crowd several times and said in surprise: "I didn't see the man wearing a pearl necklace."

Niu Wa said calmly: "He didn't wear it today."

Zhang Tian was so angry that he wanted to punch him.

Cultural differences are not only reflected in language habits, but also in behavioral habits.

Compared with Taoyuan people, Hexi people have more physical contact between same-sex people, but there is no sexual connotation at all. It is purely a way to express friendship: male friends can walk hand in hand; young men can sleep together with their necks crossed, without any involvement. Desire.

They would subconsciously sit on the Taoyuan people's lap and gently stroke each other's hair. Later, they were beaten by the tiger's head on several people one after another, and their behavior was restrained.

The impact of cultural differences is also reflected on a deeper level, most typically in the burial of the dead.

Taoyuan people are not very particular about funerals, they just dig a hole and bury it.

This is not the case for the Hexi people. After their people die, their bodies will be buried in a sitting position with their knees bent, with the vulnerable parts of the neck exposed. After a period of time, the head of the deceased will be cut off from here, wrapped in animal skins, and buried in the In the jungle, that is the final resting place of the head.

During this period, the spirits of the dead may harass relatives, appear in their dreams, and make them sick, indicating that the deceased is not satisfied with their treatment, which is a sign that it is time to prepare a head sacrifice.

Although it is relatively barbaric, it is essentially a way of worshiping ancestors.

Therefore, during the Sky Clan's sacrificial ceremony, the Hexi people were greatly surprised: the ancestors' heads were not enshrined in the sacrifice ceremony!Can their ancestors receive their wishes?

Zhang Tian used his authority to persuade the people of Hexi to accept this more civilized sacrificial ceremony.

In addition to sacrifices, Hexi people also have unique treatment methods.

Each tribe in Hexi has a "healer" who specializes in treating diseases and injuries of the tribesmen.

Among the people who came to study this time was a healer from the Dayan tribe named Yanwei.

People in Hexi have also heard that the wizard has the ability to bring the dead back to life, but this group of foreign students still habitually go to Yanwei for medical treatment first when they feel sick.

Generally speaking, the treatment methods of healers are not spread to others.There is rarely free knowledge in primitive societies. Ultimately, this is because the knowledge is not sophisticated enough and there is no threshold for understanding. Only strict confidentiality and monopoly of knowledge can maintain one's status in the tribe.

Zhang and Lin are on the contrary. Teaching knowledge is one of their main purposes, so they generously offer free classes.

Because of this, Yanwei decided to reciprocate the favor and made an exception to let the wizard, who was also good at treating diseases and injuries and was very interested in healers, observe his treatment process.

The healer has three tools for treating diseases: the first tool is divination.

Divination is a method used to determine the focus of disease. There are many methods, which vary according to the different teachers of each healer.

Yanwei's group uses the plant method. They rub the leaves of a certain grass plant with their fingertips and shout the names of various diseases that the patient may suffer from. If the leaves are broken, the name of the disease called at that time is the correct disease.

Then use the same method to find out the cause of the disease, whether it is undead, witchcraft or something else, and finally determine the treatment based on the results of divination.

It takes at least three divination procedures to get all the information.

For different causes, therapists have different treatment methods.

If it is caused by the undead, then a head sacrifice must be held, as mentioned earlier.

If it is witchcraft, that is, someone has cast a curse, the healer will use his second weapon: reverse the spell, trace the source of the witchcraft, and wipe the patient with the cursed person's clothing or other personal belongings.

If it is caused by other reasons, such as bruises, scratches and bites by wild beasts, etc., the healer will use his third weapon: using certain magical plants as medicine to cure all diseases.Yanwei showed his ability to the wizard with a proud expression.

However, Lin Yu observed that the plants Yanwei selected did not have any healing effect, but she remained silent and just watched without comment.

In the eyes of ordinary people, primitive people should be very stupid, and their IQ is probably only below their belly.

As an archaeologist, Lin Yu never boasts about cultural superiority, nor does he naturally think that primitive people's views are wrong.On the contrary, one of the responsibilities of archaeologists is to correct the public's misconceptions about prehistoric ancestors and try their best to prove that primitive people had their own set of logic and intelligence that was suitable for the times.

Of course, although there is no distinction between high and low culture, there is a difference between progress and backwardness. If a group wants to progress, it must learn to take the essence and discard the dross, rather than blindly abiding by dead principles and not knowing how to adapt.

People in Hexi judge the quality of treatments based on their ancestry, believing that ancient treatments must be more effective than new treatments. Any new treatments are highly questionable because they lack the approval and certification of their ancestors.Therefore, healers of all generations have been too lazy to find new treatments. Many treatments have not changed, let alone progressed, for hundreds of years.

A culture that rests on its laurels is undesirable.

The emergence of a special case made this group of international students greatly shaken by traditional treatments.

This case is none other than Yanwei himself.

Yanwei got sick, initially just catching a cold, accompanied by a slight cough and runny nose.

Lin Yu boiled medicine for him, but Yanwei's self-esteem as a healer did not allow him to accept it, so he performed a divination on himself and found out that he had been cursed. He then traced that the curser was the second child of the Calabash tribe. People come to your door asking for an explanation.

Erwa naturally refused to admit it, and even refused to provide personal items for Yanwei's treatment. The two sides fought and a fierce conflict broke out. This was the only large-scale fight this winter.

Afterwards, Zhang Tian followed Taoyuan's rules and severely punished both parties involved.

Under the mediation of the sky priest, Yanwei finally obtained Erwa's personal belongings, but his condition became more and more serious. He had a high fever and was bedridden.

Yan Ling, who came with Yan Wei and grew up with him, was so worried that she ran to the wizard and cried bitterly, asking her if she had any herbs that could bring the dead back to life to save him.

This time Yanwei didn't insist anymore, but he still insisted that the wizard's diagnosis must be wrong.

Yanwei ate the herbal medicine brewed by Lin Yu and recovered quickly. Within a few days, he went from bedridden to lively and healthy.

Everyone was happy, and Yanwei was not angry. He only said that this case was very complicated, with both witchcraft and other reasons. He cured the witchcraft part, and the wizard dealt with other diseases.Of course, he still affirmed the wizard's medical skills.

However, no matter how Yan Wei defends himself, he who heals others cannot heal himself, which ultimately greatly damages the reputation and reputation of the healer. Correspondingly, the prestige of the wizard rises rapidly.

After that, whenever these foreign students felt uncomfortable, they would first seek medical treatment from the wizard. Common headaches and brain fevers could not be cured.

Time flies by day by day, the sun becomes higher and higher, and the nights are no longer so long.

The ice and snow are beginning to melt, and the coldest days are over.

On the occasion of the change of seasons, the children ushered in the "exciting" final assessment.

Before the final assessment, Zhang Tian kindly gave them two days to review.During those two days, the school was always full, and it was hard to find a seat. Many people who had never attended self-study suddenly became hard-working, spending time in the school from morning to night, cramming.

The adults didn't even need to ask what the children's grades were, and just listened to the cries.

All the students in the advanced class were in mourning. Three students still passed the symbol class, and all of them failed the math class. There was no chance to make up the exam, and they would all have to go back and retake it next year.

The passing rate of the basic class is similar to last year. There are still some people who have failed the basic assessment but are already ten years old. Knowing that failure is a foregone conclusion, they can only cover their faces and choke with sobs.

After a winter of exposure, this group of international students gradually became Taoyuan people. Most of them have mastered the Taoyuan language and are infinitely closer to Taoyuan people in terms of cultural identity.

As winter turns to spring, the tribesmen kill pigs and rats, play flutes and drums, and celebrate the Spring Festival. There is a festive atmosphere in the camp.

After the Spring Festival, Zhang Tian promulgated a series of "new policies" for international students: "Those who pass the final assessment can continue to learn new knowledge on the next cold day!"

"When you go back, say hello to your chief for me, and give me a message by the way: the school's enrollment quota is limited, and tribes that are allied with the Sky Clan will have priority to get more quotas!"

"In addition, we will expand the school. If you are willing to stay and help, you can enjoy the same treatment as Taoyuan people. Those who perform well can also help the tribe win more places!"

Once the prehistoric version of the "Talent Introduction Plan" was promulgated, a group of international students immediately exploded.

Someone immediately asked: "We have to go back and explain the situation to the tribe. Is it okay to leave only one person behind?"

"Of course! The more people who stay, the more priority will be given when allocating enrollment quotas! Alliances are the top priority!"

Everyone was thinking that forming an alliance meant giving up the past traditions and tribal independence, merging into the Sky Clan, and obeying the orders of the Sky Priest. This was undoubtedly a difficult decision.

But what if other tribes form an alliance and my own tribe doesn’t get a quota?This semester they have only learned language and basic knowledge, and have not yet been exposed to real technology!You must come next semester!
They unknowingly fell into the prisoner's dilemma woven by Zhang Tian and fell into a dilemma.

Fortunately, they don't need to make a decision on this matter, leaving it to the chief and the tribe to deal with the headache...

At this time, a loud response was suddenly heard: "The Dachuan Tribe is willing to form an alliance with the Sky Clan and become the people of the Sky!"

Everyone turned around and saw Jiang He with a solemn expression and a loud voice.

Jiang He has been trading with various tribes all year round. He knows very well what to do to bring the greatest benefits to the tribe, and he is very decisive in making decisions. As the only chief present, he has the qualifications to make this decision.

As soon as the words fell, another voice echoed: "The Big Fish Tribe is willing to form an alliance with the Sky Clan and become the people of the Sky!"

Fish intestines held their heads high.The Big Fish Tribe had already made an agreement with the Sky Priest to come to participate in the alliance ceremony after the beginning of spring. His statement at this time was purely to increase the momentum.

There was a commotion in the crowd, and in the blink of an eye, two tribes chose to form an alliance, and everyone suddenly felt a sense of crisis.

A moment ago, I felt that the matter had nothing to do with me, but now I want to return to the tribe immediately and persuade the tribesmen to follow up!
Zhang Tian had a clear view of everyone's expressions. To be honest, Jiang He's decisiveness was a bit beyond his expectation.

He smiled, nodded and said, "Okay, let's hold the alliance ceremony now."

(End of this chapter)