Our ancestors were not categorically smarter than people today; intelligence varies across individuals and contexts. Here are a few nuanced points:

• Cognitive abilities: Humans today benefit from accumulated knowledge, education, and technologies, which can give the impression of greater overall capability in many domains.
• Specialized knowledge: Ancient societies often demonstrated impressive problem-solving (e.g., engineering, astronomy, navigation) with limited tools. Some tasks required hard-won practical intelligence.
• Adaptation and survival: Early humans excelled at adapting to harsh environments and developing social structures, tools, and cultures that supported group survival.
• Measurement challenges: “Smarter” is not a unitary trait. IQ tests and modern assessments capture certain cognitive skills, but not all forms of intelligence, such as creativity, wisdom, or social intelligence.

If you’d like, I can tailor this to a specific context (ancient civilizations, hunter-gatherer societies, or a comparison of problem-solving methods). Would you prefer a concise summary or a deeper dive with examples?