kuvult > It is perfectly rational to believe many concepts in the Gemara were based on their knowledge at the time.
how can you claim otherwise? Gemora documents myriads of cases where amoraim argue about meaning of mishayos and baraisos, and sometimes explain that someone knew that baraisa but not another. For example, R Yehudah repeatedly points to Nehardians (where Shmuel taught) what he knows from Shmuel that they do not. All these traveller from Israel to Bavel who either bring information or worse. As the Maharal points out, see my multiple references, the strength of Bavli is developing the method of reconstructing missing information (similar to modern linguistic analysis, pattern analysis, machine learning – AAQ, not Maharal). So, you are free to try to use their methods and you’ll be a talmid chacham if you succeed or a rooster, or worse, if you don’t (Gemora’s words not AAQs,)