Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id WAA18295 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 16 Apr 2002 22:26:14 +0100 X-Originating-IP: [194.117.133.84] User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/9.0.2509 Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 22:17:14 +0100 Subject: RE: Bones Reveal Some Truth in 'Noble Savage Myth From: Steve Drew <srdrew_1@hotmail.com> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Message-ID: <B8E252D5.D1%srdrew_1@hotmail.com> In-Reply-To: <200204161647.RAA17795@alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk> Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit X-OriginalArrivalTime: 16 Apr 2002 21:19:52.0622 (UTC) FILETIME=[72BC74E0:01C1E58C] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Lawrence, Wade
> Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 12:42:05 -0400
> From: "Lawrence DeBivort" <debivort@umd5.umd.edu>
> Subject: RE: Bones Reveal Some Truth in 'Noble Savage Myth'
>
> Good morning, everyone,
>
> I read this story yesterday -- and came away unimpressed. The evidence --
> skeletal forensics -- is much too thin to jump to conclusions regarding
> trends or shifts in the degreee of violence in 'native' populations pre- and
> post- the arrival of Europeans in North America. As the article most
> tellingly notes, known shifts in the technology of violence obscure the
> significance of the researcher's findings.
>
> Even if one were to assume that the data and its inferences about violence
> are solid, all it would then show is the incidence of violence, which in
> itself says little about the 'Noble Savage' theory itself, which itself has
> little to do with the issue of 'man's intrinsic/genetic propensity to
> violence.'
>
> But they did their best and will get an article to their credit for it. And
> how could you have a conference if people didn't give papers?
>
> Lawrence
I had not read that one but have seen similar. In particular an
archaeological bone bed in the US that showed a large number of carcasses
(Well left over bones, obviously!) some of which showed cut marks consistant
with butchery. These bones were at the bottom of a bluff, and the thought
was that they could have been driven over as a hunting technique. The
natives took what they needed and left the rest. It could also have been
that the buffalo had spooked.
As a bit of conjecture, and IMHO, looking round the world now, as well as
the history of the UK, I would suggest that the idea of the native in
harmony with the environment is a fantasy brought on by a combination of
guilt on behalf of the American Settlers, and a bit of cunning by the
natives.
Regards
Steve
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