I Bet This Creates a Bit of Discussion ...

Esav wrote:

"In line with all that, modern humans seem to go back some 40,000 years, going by the beginnings of language and the decorative arts. But that's in Africa and Europe and West Asia. So how did evidently modern humans, Homo sapiens, find themselves already living in Australia 40,000 years ago?"

I read last week that recent evidence shows modern humans living in Australia 60,000 years ago. Admittedly it was in the non-scientific book "Down Under" by Bill Bryson.

As I understand it, the earliest known modern humans lived in southern Africa 80,000 years ago, much earlier than in Europe. But then, most of Europe was locked in an ice age at the time and therefore not very hospitable.

It does seem amazing that the ancestors of the Aborigines built ocean-going craft, tens of thousands of years before any such vessels are believed to have existed in Europe!

Andrew.
 
A.W.U.K. said:
It does seem amazing that the ancestors of the Aborigines built ocean-going craft, tens of thousands of years before any such vessels are believed to have existed in Europe!
Click to expand...
That's the problem. It's easy to understand that over 100,000 years ago, recognizable human ancestors were developing modern levels of intelligence and beginning to develop language, in their African homeland. By 40,000 years ago, Europe was overrun with at least two human species, both probably using fire, clothing, and language.

Even before these sapiens and neandertalensis populations developed, Homo erectus had spread to eastern Asia, and soon after, H. sapiens followed. By land was easy, island-hopping across Indonesia was easy, but ... how did they cross from Indonesia to Australia??? Wallace, who pioneered evolution theory at the same time as Darwin, had done extensive exploration in that area, and demonstrated that animal populations on either side of the line were significantly different, so difficult it was to cross. Quite a feat!

The First Chantey
1896

Mine was the woman to me, darkling I found her:
Haling her dumb from the camp, held her and bound her.
Hot rose her tribe on our track ere I had proved her;
Hearing her laugh in the gloom, greatly I loved her.

Swift through the forest we ran, none stood to guard us,
Few were my people and far; then the flood barred us --
Him we call Son of the Sea, sullen and swollen.
Panting we waited the death, stealer and stolen.

Yet ere they came to my lance laid for the slaughter,
Lightly she leaped to a log lapped in the water;
Holding on high and apart skins that arrayed her,
Called she the God of the Wind that He should aid her.

Life had the tree at that word (Praise we the Giver!)
Otter-like left he the bank for the full river.
Far fell their axes behind, flashing and ringing,
Wonder was on me and fear -- yet she was singing!

Low lay the land we had left. Now the blue bound us,
Even the Floor of the Gods level around us.
Whisper there was not, nor word, shadow nor showing,
Till the light stirred on the deep, glowing and growing.

Then did He leap to His place flaring from under,
He the Compeller, the Sun, bared to our wonder.
Nay, not a league from our eyes blinded with gazing,
Cleared He the Gate of the World, huge and amazing!

This we beheld (and we live) -- the Pit of the Burning!
Then the God spoke to the tree for our returning;
Back to the beach of our flight, fearless and slowly,
Back to our slayers went he; but we were holy.

Men that were hot in that hunt, women that followed,
Babes that were promised our bones, trembled and wallowed.
Over the necks of the Tribe crouching and fawning --
Prophet and priestess we came back from the dawning!
Click to expand...

Rudyard Kipling is fun. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top