You can dismiss any region by ignoring everything they've accomplished. If you absolutely insist on silly "comparative metrics" though, many areas of the pre-c

You can dismiss any region by ignoring everything they've accomplished. If you absolutely insist on silly "comparative metrics" though, many areas of the pre-columbian Americas were home to incredibly advanced agricultural civilizations whose productivity far exceeded that of their European contemporaries. This isn't a useful perspective for academic work, but maybe it'll help you come to grips.