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Worlds oldest ritual
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AyKurt View Drop Down
Shogun
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Posts: 236 		  Quote AyKurt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Worlds oldest ritual
    Posted: 28-Jan-2007 at 11:21
This article not only tells of one of the oldest rituals discovered so far but also the ancient continuity of San culture.
 

Worlds oldest ritual discovered. Worshipped the python 70,000 years ago

A new archaeological find in Botswana shows that our ancestors in Africa engaged in ritual practice 70,000 years ago 30,000 years earlier than the oldest finds in Europe. This sensational discovery strengthens Africas position as the cradle of modern man.

A startling archaeological discovery this summer changes our understanding of human history. While, up until now, scholars have largely held that mans first rituals were carried out over 40, 000 years ago in Europe, it now appears that they were wrong about both the time and place.

Associate Professor Sheila Coulson, from the University of Oslo, can now show that modern humans, Homo sapiens, have performed advanced rituals in Africa for 70,000 years. She has, in other words, discovered mankinds oldest known ritual.

The archaeologist from the Department of Archaeology, Conservation, and Historical Studies, made the surprising discovery while she was studying the origin of the Sanpeople in cooperation with the University of Troms, Norway, and the University of Botswana. A group of the San live in the sparsely inhabited area of north-western Botswana known as Ngamiland.

 
Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha
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Goban View Drop Down
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Posts: 581 		  Quote Goban Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-Jan-2007 at 11:32
Very interesting. Thanks for the link...
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Lepidodendron View Drop Down
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Posts: 128 		  Quote Lepidodendron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-Jan-2007 at 11:47
Interesting, but this:
 
Originally posted by AyKurt

 30,000 years earlier than the oldest finds in Europe.
 
does not automatically imply this:
 
Originally posted by AyKurt

up until now, scholars have largely held that mans first rituals were carried out over 40, 000 years ago in Europe
 
No serious scholar would take the absence of evidence from Africa as evidence of absence. And I do not know where this comes from:
 
Originally posted by AyKurt

This sensational discovery strengthens Africas position as the cradle of modern man.
 
This is a meaningless phrase, as it is already agreed upon that modern man came from Africa, and this discovery does not add anything significant to our understanding in that respect.
 
Sometimes I get a bit tired of all those sensationalistic, suggestively written flashy news articles. ("Yes, it's Africa! Eat this, scientists!")
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AyKurt View Drop Down
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Posts: 236 		  Quote AyKurt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-Jan-2007 at 12:26
Im sure many (certainly not all Big%20smile) here can distinguish between media sensationalism and the useful bits of information in the article.
 
Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha
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Posts: 128 		  Quote Lepidodendron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-Jan-2007 at 12:34
Originally posted by AyKurt

Im sure many (certainly not all Big%20smile) here can distinguish between media sensationalism and the useful bits of information in the article.
 
 
Sorry, but I had to let off some steam. Smile 
 
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Posts: 128 		  Quote Lepidodendron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-Jan-2007 at 13:34
I would like to see some clearer pictures of the python's head though.
Come to speak of it, I was wondering about this figurine:
 
 
This head is supposed to have been carved 26.000 years ago. It featured in an article in National Geographic Magazine in 1988, but its authenticity was questioned at that time. Has it been determined since then whether it is fake or genuine?
The text of the article plus the pictures can be found here: http://donsmaps.com/dolnivenus.html.
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AyKurt View Drop Down
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Posts: 236 		  Quote AyKurt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-Jan-2007 at 18:02
Originally posted by Lepidodendron

I would like to see some clearer pictures of the python's head though.
 
Well the announcement of this discovery wasnt supposed to be made until the summer to allow the researchers time to finish their study without to much attention.  There should be more pictures released then.
Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha
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Posts: 128 		  Quote Lepidodendron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-Jan-2007 at 18:16
Okay, interesting.
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