Reading about ancient people

[Tero]

Currently have a few Finnish texts open. Oxford book of prehistory is on order.
http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Illustrate ... 628&sr=8-2

This looked good
http://www.amazon.de/Language-Land-Livi ... 109&sr=1-8

I am just looking at used copies now. I gave the German site as I like the price in Euros.

As in the best travel literature, the account of the physical journey in The Language of the Land becomes a voyage of the self...Stephenson treats readers to a memorable portrait of the Hadzabe, a shy people who relish the moment, do not understand greed, and manifest profound reverence for nature and their ancestors...With alluring descriptions of nature and an inspiring depiction of this ancient tribe, he will likely provoke readers into a new respect for remote corners of the earth, where people still understand 'the language of the land' --New York Times.

[Tero]

The American reviewer was more blunt:

]Bottom line? A fabulous tale is marred by the narcissism of the author. Stephenson's behavior while staying with the Hadzabe is indistiguishable to me from the behavior of Western explorers for centuries: enjoy what the native culture has to offer to the fullest, but offer little (alcohol, crayons, and paints in this case) in return.

[Clinton Huxley]

Not read the book but looks like, from the NYT review, it is pushing the myth of the Noble Savage....

[Tero]

It's still good to read about communal life. Sort of the mix of socialism and competition of males in a tribe. There are still women that run a tribe, in China for example.

[Clinton Huxley]

It's still good to read about communal life. Sort of the mix of socialism and competition of males in a tribe. There are still women that run a tribe, in China for example.

Aye, seems to be the case that, pre-agriculture, society was more egalitarian AND more violent.

[FBM]

I like to go back to the earliest points in recorded history and see what those people thought about things. Once you account for the temporal and technological differences, they were concerned about pretty much the same things we are today: how to get along without fighting any more than necessary, how to deal with the ruling elite, economics, sex, morality, politics, how to figure out what is knowledge and what isn't, etc.

[Clinton Huxley]

I like to go back to the earliest points in recorded history and see what those people thought about things. Once you account for the temporal and technological differences, they were concerned about pretty much the same things we are today: how to get along without fighting any more than necessary, how to deal with the ruling elite, economics, sex, morality, politics, how to figure out what is knowledge and what isn't, etc.

You mean like the contents of Rationalia, only carved in stone or painted on cave walls....

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The American reviewer was more blunt:

]Bottom line? A fabulous tale is marred by the narcissism of the author. Stephenson's behavior while staying with the Hadzabe is indistiguishable to me from the behavior of Western explorers for centuries: enjoy what the native culture has to offer to the fullest, but offer little (alcohol, crayons, and paints in this case) in return.

Why didn't he bring them all microwaves?

[FBM]

I like to go back to the earliest points in recorded history and see what those people thought about things. Once you account for the temporal and technological differences, they were concerned about pretty much the same things we are today: how to get along without fighting any more than necessary, how to deal with the ruling elite, economics, sex, morality, politics, how to figure out what is knowledge and what isn't, etc.

You mean like the contents of Rationalia, only carved in stone or painted on cave walls....

I read the shite slung on the walls like a shaman reads chicken entrails...

[Tero]

The Celt expert that compiled the Oxford book seems to be wrong about migrations in Europe. Only the college texts are up to date and include dna studies of the last 20 years. Wiki has those. See for example beaker culture, corded ware culture, battle axe etc.

[Audley Strange]

I like to go back to the earliest points in recorded history and see what those people thought about things. Once you account for the temporal and technological differences, they were concerned about pretty much the same things we are today: how to get along without fighting any more than necessary, how to deal with the ruling elite, economics, sex, morality, politics, how to figure out what is knowledge and what isn't, etc.

You mean like the contents of Rationalia, only carved in stone or painted on cave walls....

I read the shite slung on the walls like a shaman reads chicken entrails...

Haruspicy is a scatter-shot approach to divination. That it was once a technology should make us consider that perhaps prior to thoughts being formalised with by common language and writing they would be as alien to us as chimps or dogs. I'm not sure other than basic survival instincts we could understand their motivations at all, or if they even had any coherent ones.

[Tero]

Some interesting Wiki articles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_age

and from that, I had not heard of these burial sites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seima-Turbino_Phenomenon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_age ... Phenomenon

[FBM]

Some interesting Wiki articles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_age

and from that, I had not heard of these burial sites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seima-Turbino_Phenomenon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_age ... Phenomenon

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea I'd spend the first half of it reading about the Bronze Age...

[Tero]

I do that often. Not at work of course. I have a good % of wiki artucles on iPod so no wifi needed.

[FBM]

When I was growing up, it was the Encyclopedia Brittanica that kept me occupied for hours and hours on end. Now it's Wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca_Lines