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+--- Thread: "Tales from the Stone Age" (/showthread.php?tid=299)
"Tales from the Stone Age" - Ken S - 03-23-2018
I just finished watching a fascinating series, "Tales from the Stone Age". It reminded me of the excellent posts by Thomas about his life experiences with the Sami people. I was particularly pleased that this program treated our early ancestors as innovating, intelligent, and resourceful. There was no attitude of them being primitive or less developed.
The story traces the development of our species from hunter gatherers to the beginning of the iron age. The story begins in the Fertile Crescent and goes back and forth with Europe. It is very well supported with archological evidence.
There are three episodes, lasting a total of three hours. It was produced in 2004 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. I found it on Amazom Prime (free to members or no charge to guest members). It is also listed on youtube.
It makes me think and gives me a deeper appreciation for the legacy we have inherited. I plan to watch it again, at least once. I recommend it highly.
Ken
RE: "Tales from the Stone Age" - Mark Reich - 03-23-2018
Outstanding! Thanks a bunch for letting us know, Mr. Ken, I'll definitely watch it!
RE: "Tales from the Stone Age" - Ken S - 03-23-2018
Mark,
I thought you would enjoy this program. It resonated inside of me the same way knives and sharpening do. I believe you may share that resonance. Although I appreciate our modern culture, I would not want to forget our distant past. With your ranching background, you will appreciate the far reaching influence of agriculture.
Ken
RE: "Tales from the Stone Age" - Edgepal - 03-23-2018
Ken S,
In films and so on stoneage people are showed more like apes then humans - but stoneage people was exactly as we are today, same body, same brain, same intelligents. They was and function as we are today - but they did not have out tecnical knowledge, their knowledge was about nature, wild animals, things to eat and not to eat, medicine and religion - and much more.
They use the material there was innthe area where they lived - and imported material they needed from sometime long distance. In south Sweden we have a soecial black color flint and deep flint mines - and that flint was exported all over Scandinavia, also far north. The graan in that black flint was very fine and it was easy to split to sharp edges.
They was experts in flint napping and could make fantastic edged tools, they make for example arrowheads if extream high quality.
The indians in US was at stoneage levell when the white men arrived (correct me if I am wrong) and they went deiektly from stoneage to ironage. Here we have the bronze age before the ironage. Even today we still have real stoneage people in Amazonas that use only stone tools. Ages gets their names from what matwrial they used in their daily life - not by how their brain worked
Thomas
RE: "Tales from the Stone Age" - Ken S - 03-23-2018
Thomas,
I live very near the Hopewell mounds in Newark, Ohio. These mounds are one of three sites in North America on the World Heritage list of seventy for the planet. Another site, the Great Pyramid of Egypt, could fit in the largest mound. I believe the Hopewell mounds were built before the pyramids.
Stonehenge is famous for its lunar alignment. The Hopewell mathematicians understood long lunar cycles of either 18 1/2 or 22 1/2 years. They built a straight road from Newark to Chillocothe, a distance of sixty miles. Traded objects from as far away as Yellowstone were found in the mounds, a distance of eighteen hundred miles.
I agree with you, our ancient ancestors had no lack of intelligence. We can learn much from them.
Ken
RE: "Tales from the Stone Age" - EOU - 03-24-2018
You know, this thread is an example of one thing that we really like about the BESS Exchange and our members. It's not just all burrs and abrasives. We believe that if you understand better where you come from, you'll better understand who you are. That's going to make us better people and in some cases, perhaps even better knife makers and sharpeners. Thank you very much to Ken, Thomas, Mark et al for this interesting conversation.
RE: "Tales from the Stone Age" - Mark Reich - 03-24-2018
Just a few months ago, a brought about 30 lbs of Gorgeous volcanic glass home from the west coast. One big chunk in each suitcase, and another in each of our carry on bags. I already have a ton of clean flint from the Flint River area. I haven't done much knapping yet, but I know I'll get around to it. I am certain that I'll Never run out of ammunition, but I've wanted make Folsom points. They're more intricate than all the commonly knapped arrowheads and such around here.
I wonder if the Mandan Sioux lodge builders are kin to the ones near you, Ken. We lived a bit west of there until I was 11. Mandan is where Louis and Clark wintered with the Sioux, and picked up Sacajawea, and probably a few other adventurous souls. I reckon L&C wouldn't have made it much further on their own. They had the difficult half of the continent in front of them at that point.
I can't imagine that the night sky wouldn't totally fascinate anyone who ever took their eye off the ground. Seems like the most natural thing in the world would be keeping track of the moon, stars and counting days to keep track of seasons and years... Time. There was always only one star that didn't move like the rest. The sky orbs always came up and went down predictably. There wasn't a heck of a lot else to ponder all night...
Thanks for allowing "Relevant" discussion to cover a wide spectrum of relevancy, Mike.
RE: "Tales from the Stone Age" - Ken S - 03-24-2018
Interesting post, Mark.
Mike, I would add my thanks to Mark's. Man does not live by converting belt grinders alone.
When the Hopewell mounds were first "discovered" in modern times, a popular theory arose that the Hopewell people were a branch of europeans. Another popular theory was that the Hopewell were one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. When this nonsense was debunked and knowledgeable people realized that the Hopewell were neither White nor Israelite, their amazing accomplishments didn't seem so important. This kind of narrow thinking is so counterproductive.
Mark, looking at the sky, understanding the concept of an eighteen year lunar cycle is totally beyond my wildest imagination.
From Plymouth, the europeans would not have survived alone. In fact, the reason why the site of Plymouth was uninhabited was because europeans had brought smallpox a few years before. History can be so much richer than the watered down narrow version which is usually taught. The relation between sharp edged tools and civilization is far more complex and fascinating than is taught.
Sadly, our culture generally ignores adult learning. This exchange is a refreshing and nourishing change. I am grateful to be a part of it.
Ken
RE: "Tales from the Stone Age" - Edgepal - 03-24-2018
Europeans is a word describing a group of people, i am one of them. Are I a typical European, no, I dont think so - but I am still an European.
I can make my own tools, I can make up fire, I can hunt and take care of the meat, build me a home and live in it also during the winter. Today we are not so many people that can do this - but - go back 100 years, most people could survive like I can today. Also most emigrants that come to US have this knowledge. What they sis not have was the knowledge of the climate.
Most Scandinavians Seattle down in-areas that was so much like Scandinavia as possible, Michigan was popular and Minnestota also, some settle down in Montana.
The vikings find out that America was pupolated by indians the year 1000 and they trade with them and build a settlement on New Foundland that has been found. If I understand my forefathers correct,mthey sis not stay there, they travel both south and north from there. But there is no finds oåf them...yet.
The vikings use iron, they have pots in iron, swords, knifes, axes in iron, their ships boards had iron nails - and they was traders and trade with indians that have stone tools...
There must be finds in US of viking iron that was used by indians. Perhaps these finds are not found yet... But some day they will be found. So, go out and find them guys
Thomas
RE: "Tales from the Stone Age" - Ken S - 03-24-2018
Thomas,
Not all Europeans live in Europe. Genealogically, I am European, although many of my ancestors left Europe almost five hundred years ago. They carried with them their Neanderthal heritage. My DNA is 3% Neanderthal, which is typical of northern Europeans. Before we coined the term Neanderthal, we arrogantly considered "homo stupidus". That is ironic, considering the Neanderthals had larger brain cavaties than the homo "sapiens". I guess history is written by those who can write.
Ken