Anthropology.net

I just spotted this link to the trailer, 10,000 BC, over at Kris Hirst’s webpage at About.com: Archaeology, about which she comments as follows…

“A new movie is apparently due out in 2008 called 10,000 BC, which might be a kind of interesting movie to see,except that apparently humans were into iron metallurgy and sophisticated stone masonry back then, which we actually weren’t until several thousands of years later. Oh well. It’s probably almost as good without Raquel Welch in a furry bikini.”

This synopsis at Rope of Silicon gives a brief idea of what we can expect to feast our eyes upon next March…

It was a time when man and beast were untamed and the mighty mammoth roamed the earth. A time when ideas and beliefs were born that forever shaped mankind. 10,000 B.C. follows a young hunter (Steven Strait) on his quest to lead an army across a vast desert, battling saber tooth tigers and prehistoric predators as he unearths a lost civilization and attempts to rescue the woman he loves (Camilla Belle) from an evil warlord determined to possess her.

I for one will be waiting to catch this latest offering from the people who brought us, amongst others, ‘Indepence Day‘- although it appears unlikely we’re going to be getting much in the way of a realistic reconstruction of life back then, it will interesting to see how much further we have come since “One Million Years BC“, made back in the 1966, a remake of the 1940 original. If they manage to avoid some or all of the clichés that usually accompany stories of this kind, maybe it will be a good film in its own right, but I guess many will writing this film off before it even hits the screens. A recent film with prehistoric connections which I, and my 11 y’old son enjoyed a lot more than I thought we would was ‘A Night At The Museum‘ (TJ)

“10,000 B.C” is due out 7th March, 2008, here’s a link to the main site

see also: Mammoth Bone Dwellings

and: Don’s Maps – Mezhiric – Mammoth Camp

Image: Painting in red on the front of mammoth skull found at the entrance to one of the huts at the mammoth hunter’s settlement at Mezhirich in the former Soviet Union. It is thought that the red design may represent the flames and sparks of a fire.

Photo: K. Sklenar, ‘Hunters of the Stone Age’

Nothing like a good lurid headline on which to end the day, and to give us with an apt example, the Guardian has conjured up this gem to furnish their report on the mysterious Bili apes. For many years the stuff of legend, the apes, named for the local area, were eventually observed in the flesh, in once instance chomping away on the carcass of a leopard. This, if true, is surprising enough, but not as odd as the idea that it may even have killed its feline prey, a behaviour never before reported in apes, but corresponds to rumour that has persisted locally for some time. There doesn’t appear to be any explanation of how this killing of a leopard by one or more apes might have been accomplished, or whether or not they could have made and/or used weapons, such as rocks, or trapped it in some fiendish device. The Bili or Bondo Mystery Apes are to be found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and are described thus in Wikipedia…

The Bili Ape is massive by chimpanzee standards. Heights can exceed 5 feet (about Gorilla height), their skulls are larger than chimp skulls, and their footprints are larger even than gorillas. Unfortunately, there have been relatively few detailed observations of the Bili Ape and no thorough examination of either remains or a living Bili Ape in captivity. They are also various(ly) described as having silver backs and even snouted faces (uncommon).

The locals in Bili refer to Bili Apes as “Lion Killers”. While chimps tend to stay in the trees and make good prey for big cats, Bili Apes nest on the ground like gorillas and have been reported to hunt lions. Read the rest of this entry »

There are several reports out today, including this at Science Daily, discussing recent research by Professor David Raichlen et al, in a paper called “Chimpanzee locomotor energetics and the origin of human bipedalism”, published in the July 16th early edition of PNAS (abstract)…

Bipedal walking is evident in the earliest hominins [Zollikofer CPE, Ponce de Leon MS, Lieberman DE, Guy F, Pilbeam D, et al. (2005) Nature remains unknown. Here, we analyze walking energetics and biomechanics for adult chimpanzees and humans to investigate the long-standing hypothesis that bipedalism reduced the energy cost of walking compared with our ape-like ancestors [Rodman PS, McHenry HM (1980) 434:755-759], but why our unique two-legged gait evolvedAm J Phys Anthropol work on juvenile chimpanzees [Taylor CR, Rowntree VJ (1973) 52:103-106]. Consistent with previousScience 179:186-187], we find that bipedal and quadrupedal walking costs are not significantly different in our sample of adult chimpanzees.

However, a more detailed analysis reveals significant differences in bipedal and quadrupedal cost in most individuals, which are masked when subjects are examined as a group. Furthermore, human walking is 75% less costly than both quadrupedal and bipedal walking in chimpanzees. Variation in cost between bipedal and quadrupedal walking, as well as between chimpanzees and humans, is well explained by biomechanical differences in anatomy and gait, with the decreased cost of human walking attributable to our more extended hip and a longer hindlimb. Analyses of these features in early fossil hominins, coupled with analyses of bipedal walking in chimpanzees, indicate that bipedalism in early, ape-like hominins could indeed have been less costly than quadrupedal knucklewalking.

That’s a huge saving of energy, and it might be asked why chimps haven’t also adopted an upright gait, as they would presumably also feel the benefit in their daily energy reserves. Hopefully, more research like this, but conducted across the entire range of Pan, will throw further light on why other apes haven’t also become fully bipedal.

One consequence of standing upright is that it enables the human body to lose or dissipate heat much more efficiently, and I’m tempted to wonder whether it was factors such as these that actually allowed early hominids, dwelling closer to the Equator, to think more clearly in their daily travails – that old saying about ‘thinking with cool heads’ comes to mind – so maybe they found it easier to make decisions and think in innovative ways, over the long-term, when they began to spend a great deal more time standing upright. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a report on two stories that have appeared over the past few days, and although they don’t refer to each other directly, there are one or two striking coincidences that are notable in themselves – but first a little background. The first report is from National Geographic, and discusses the recent discovery of skeletons belonging to people of the vanished Gallina culture, with particular reference to the shattered and disarticulated bones found buried in the ground, and the dark deeds which seem to have accompanied the deaths of their mortal owners.

Seven skeletons discovered in a remote New Mexico canyon were victims of a brutal massacre that may have been part of an ancient campaign of genocide, archaeologists say.

The victims—five adults, one child, and one infant—were members of an obscure native culture known as the Gallina, which occupied a small region of northwestern New Mexico around A.D. 1100 (see New Mexico map).

The culture suddenly vanished around 1275, as the last of its members either left the region or were “wiped out,” archaeologists say.

“Almost all of [the Gallina ever found] were murdered,” he said. “[Someone] was just killing them, case after case, every single time.”

I’ll come back to the enigmatic Gallina people later, but first, and to set their demise in context, the next stop is Chaco Canyon, erstwhile home to the Anasazi – here’s an excerpt from this NPR transcript of a recent broadcast they ran…

I’m walking across bare rock where the desert unfolds. Waves of sandstone reveal a deeply carved canyon below.

This is where the Anasazi lived. Their ruins are everywhere out here, the remains of a great Neolithic civilization. Single buildings the size of the base of the Sears Tower. Huge, round ceremonial chambers with 90-ton ceilings. This was a landscape of monuments.

The canyon opening is the size of a ballroom. Its walls are decorated with rock art: petroglyphs of animals and people and pre-Columbian symbols.

The Anasazi lived here for more than 1,000 years. Then, within a single generation, they were gone. Between 1275 and 1300 A.D., they stopped building entirely, and the land was left empty.

Looking for rain, the Anasazi headed south, leaving trails of pottery and architecture showing the way. Their descendants are the modern tribes of Tewa, Acoma, Zuni, Hopi. Others kept going into Mexico and haven’t been heard from since.

As I follow in their footsteps, I find they left the Southwest with their belongings in place, ladles left in ceramic bowls, granaries sealed full of supplies. It is as if they intended to return. But they never had a chance to come back. Read the rest of this entry »

Just a quick post to advise readers who may like to acquaint themselves with an anthropology magazine called ‘Stimulus Respond‘, which is currently available online, although they are going into print for the first time, this coming September. Here’s some comment from them regarding the identity and purpose of their publication…

Started as a respite from the mundanity of the contemporary fashion press, Stimulus is the first magazine to weave together anthropology and art with the flair of a style magazine and the attitude of street culture. Every two months, we present a combination of literature, photography, fashion, art, poetry and music in order to construct a monograph that explores the foundations of a world that we grow up to take for granted.

Like you we adore beauty in it’s simplest form. The things your friends are doing are more important than celebrities you will never meet. Stimulus is brought to you by people who write from the heart, about subjects that they are passionate about. It is a personal and cutting-edge guide to the modern, urban, world.

If you hit the ‘Back Issues’ tab on their site, you will have access to half a dozen previous editions in pdf, wherein you will find an absorbing variety of content, comprising articles, art, prose and poetry, as well as some great images, all presented within a coherent design that makes it, in my opinion, a very good read; each themed edition addresses a specific subject, ranging from Food, Self, Man/Woman and Home, through to Stories and Metropolis.

The next edition will feature Travel as its topic of choice, and is due out on July 30th, available free and online; as I mentioned earlier, the edition after that will be their first appearance in print, which judging from their online site, will be even better – pdfs have become very popular in recent years, but personally I prefer a physical artefact such as a magazine, any day of the week. They state that some material will still appear on their site, but for the print magazine, a subscription is required.

There are details at the Stimulus Respond site for readers who wish to take out a subscription to the print edition, which the editors opine will become a collector’s item – in any event, they could probably do with as much support as possible from people taking out subscriptions to help get the entire project up and running, so if you feel this is for you, feel free to head on over and sign up.

The topic if the first print edition will be Magic, and they are soliciting contributions for it, with the following suggested guidelines…

When is the everyday magical?

Is technology magic?

What is ‘the magic of the state’ and how does it manifest itself?

Is there a difference between black and white magic?

How does ‘magic’ translate cross-culturally?

The deadline for synopses and expressions of interest is 21 July, and the editorial team are listed below… Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve just been forwarded an email from Steffen Keulig, who has written up a letter in which he asks people who wish to add their voice to the request for the Tanzanian government to prohibit the Abu Dhabi royal family, and presumably anyone else, from evicting the Hadza tribespeople from their territories, thereby forcing them to relinquish the hunter-gatherer lifestyle they choose to pursue. Here’s part of Steffen’s email…

...recent developments have raised serious concerns. The Tanzanian Government is planning to lease out the Hadzabe’ s ancestral homeland territories to the “Tanzania UAE Safaris Ltd“. This company acts on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Royal family, (Prince Hamdan bin Zayed), and they plan to establish their own personal Safari playground on the Hadzabe’s traditional territories.

This eviction would spell the end for one of the last East African hunter-gatherer communities. They would become homeless and lose their traditional livelihood. It is clear from other similar evictions that these communities then become destitute and reliant on hand-outs, no longer able to survive independently. Even if there are arrangements between the parties, the Hadzabe would be unable to survive without help, as trophy hunters would rapidly deplete the wildlife of the animals that they rely on for food. Therefore, the Hadzabe themselves, unequivocally object to this project proposed by the Tanzanian Government.

He further includes two addresses to which protestors’ correspondence may be sent, and they are as follows:

Tanzania Government:

E-Mail: > tnwinfo@plancom.go.tz

Ministry of Human Resources/Tanzania:

E-Mail: > ps_csd@interafrica.com

There doesn’t as yet appear to be anyone from the Hadzabe themselves either willing or able to act as a spokesperson, and I get the impression that none is likely to be forthcoming, which means that someone or others need to speak up on their behalf. Also, there should be more avenues of approach open to those wishing to express concern in this matter, and I’ll post more here as I come across them.

Whilst checking the fPcN website, I couldn’t help but notice the many reports regarding various alleged atrocities being perpetrated by elements of the Indonesian military against indigenous people of West Papua, and once I’ve done some checking around, I’ll post something on that situation in due course. (TJ)

Image from here.

As another week flies by, I realise that another Four Stone Hearth is imminent, and this time round, the Blog Carnival is slated to be hosted by Amanda at Sherd Nerd, a blog which focuses its attention on ‘things Egyptological’.

So if you have material you’d like to submit, either your own writing, or one or more articles you’ve come across elsewhere, and feel would be appropriate, please send them either to: submit@fourstonehearth.net. or better still, directly to Amanda herself at flopearedmule@gmail.com.

Good luck to Amanda hosting, and thanks to everyone else for their imminent contributions; see you all Wednesday. (TJ)

image: Druid’s Writing Desk, Brimham Rocks

Not everything in life works out as we might hope – for instance, the crowds lining the route of today’s Stage 7 in the Tour de France were hoping for a French stage winner to coincide with Bastille Day, but in the end it was German rider Linus Gerdemann of the T-Mobile team who powered away from the chasing peloton to win the stage, taking over both the white jersey (best young rider) and yellow jersey (overall race leader) in one prolonged burst of exceptional riding through this gruelling day, that gave him his first stage win since the Tour de Suisse in 2005 – in other words a great result for him and his team, but not the one the partisan crowds were hoping for, even though they sportingly cheered the winner of this first mountain stage to the echo, as he sped past them.

“As in professional cycling, so in palaeoanthropology”, is probably a saying unattributable to anyone ever, but the point I want to make is that despite the hype predicting the discovery of a missing link in hominid evolution, I’d be surprised if that was the result, although we might instead discover more unexpected details from the fossils, which in the end might be just as valuable as a putative missing link.

National Geographic have more on the recent finds from Woranso-Mille in the Afar region of Ethiopia, not a million miles for where Kambiz is at this moment, and although there are no new developments to report, this picture of a complete mandible warrants a quick post in its own right. First, an excerpt from the linked article … Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s an abstract from the Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences reflecting on the headline above – it would appear that the spread of Neolithic people in Europe was prompted from two main areas, the Near East and the Iberian Peninsular…

The peopling of Europe is a complex process. One of the most dramatic demographic events, the Neolithic agricultural revolution, took place in the Near East roughly 10000 years ago and then spread through the European continent. Nevertheless, the nature of this process (either cultural or demographic) is still a matter of debate among scientists. We have retrieved HVRI mitochondrial DNA sequences from 11 Neolithic remains from Granollers (Catalonia, northeast Spain) dated to 5500 years BP. We followed the proposed authenticity criteria, and we were also able, for the first time, to track down the pre-laboratory-derived contaminant sequences and consequently eliminate them from the generated cloning dataset.

Phylogeographic analysis shows that the haplogroup composition of the Neolithic population is very similar to that found in modern populations from the Iberian Peninsula, suggesting a long-time genetic continuity, at least since Neolithic times. This result contrasts with that recently found in a Neolithic population from Central Europe and, therefore, raises new questions on the heterogeneity of the Neolithic dispersals into Europe. We propose here a dual model of Neolithic spread: acculturation in Central Europe and demic diffusion in southern Europe.

Looks like an interesting paper, which at the moment is residing behind a paywall, but confirms the idea that many modern inhabitants of the Iberian peninsular can trace their ancestry directly back to the Neolithic, and quite possibly before then as well. (TJ)

image from here

It has come to my attention that there are a few comments from readers that are as yet awaiting moderation – so if you’ve sent in a comment over the past few days and are wondering a) why it hasn’t appeared, and b) why there has been no reply, the reason is that although I’m in effect covering for Kambiz while he’s away, I don’t have admin. access to the site, and as such I am unable to moderate or publish them – although someone has been moderating them on a weekly basis, I have no idea who that person is or when they plan on releasing the next batch of comments, though I’m sure it will be soon.

So in the meantime, many apologies for this delay and thanks for taking the time to comment – as soon as the new ones are up on site, I’ll address them – thanks for your patience, and please feel free to add more comments as you feel fit; thanks – Tim