you know, thales may have had some concept of a distant land beyond the oceans, from phoenician and egyptian records, and dim memories of possible contact.

he may have had an x haplotype, which has been found in strange percentages amongst indigenous people on the eastern coast.

i could imagine thales walking into an indigenous village..

"i am thales, the great sage of ionia. please bring me your greatest minds, so we can sit and contemplate existence."

*pause*

one steps forward.

"sage, huh?"

*split screen to thales, tied up, and being slowly lowered into a burning pit*