17 Matching Annotations
  1. Mar 2025
    1. skeletal remains of a Neanderthal known as Shanadar I. These skeletal remains show that this individual had some significant disabilities, probably deaf, probably at least partly blind, probably didn't have use of one of their arms, probably had a significant limp. And yet for a Neanderthal, they survived into what would have been relatively old age, somewhere around 40 or into their 40s.

      Shanidar 1, Neanderthal remains

      Shanidar 1 | The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program:

      Through examining his skeletal remains, scientists found evidence that at a young age, Shanidar 1 experienced a crushing blow to his head. The blow damaged the left eye (possibly blinding him) and the brain area controling the right side of the body, leading to a withered right arm and possible paralysis that also crippled his right leg. One of Shanidar 1’s middle foot bones (metatarsal) on his right foot shows a healed fracture, which probably only enhanced his noticeable limp. All of Shanidar 1’s injuries show signs of healing, so none of them resulted in his death. In fact, scientists estimate he lived until 35–45 years of age. He would have been considered old to another Neandertal, and he would probably not have been able to survive without the care of his social group.

  2. Jul 2024
    1. easter island

      for - progress trap - archeology - Easter Island

      progress trap - archeology - Easter Island - The archeology tells the fascinating story of the progress trap that Eastern Island ancestors created. - Easter Island is desolate and only 64 square miles total - It is located 2,000 miles (3218 km) from the nearest landmass of South America - Archeologists trying to piece together the stone monoliths of Easter Island found pollen samples in the crater lakes on the island, proving that the place was once a thriving forest - By the time the first Europeans landed (the Dutch) on Easter Island, it was just grassy hills - How did it go from a lush forest land to a grass land? - The layers of pollen samples told a story - The aboriginal polynesians that the Dutch explorers encountered arrived about 1,000 years earlier - They cut down the forest, grew their population and used trees in many ways, including to transport the huge stone monoliths that paid respect to their ancestors - The original people multiplied then separated into separate warring tribes - The environment was devastated as the logging destroyed the forest and all the abundant ecosystem that provided for their sustenance - This created severe erosion and the soil became impoverished - The tribes collapses into warfare and cannibalism

      progress trap - Easter Island - Sumeria etc - lesson - don't romanticize our ancestors - Human groups have continuously sabotaged themselves through overexploitation and lack of foresight - Progress traps have been a constant part of our species for a long, long time

    2. written history you can only get in literate societies and and the invention of writing is quite recent and in and in some areas the world extremely recent 00:23:25 so you you just don't have a great big depth of history but archaeology goes back tens hundreds and thousands of years and even millions of years especially when you're talking 00:23:37 about the evolution of our species

      for - comparison - history vs archeology - Ronald Wright

      comparison - history vs archeology - Ronald Wright - Written history is very recent but archeology can go back hundreds of millions of years

  3. Aug 2023
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  6. Jan 2020
    1. The voice recreation technique "has given us the unique opportunity to hear the sound of someone long dead", said study co-author Joann Fletcher, a professor of archaeology at the University of York.

      Kinda creepy... Kinda cool...

  7. Apr 2019
    1. The concept of ‘deep time’ was first described in 1788 by the Scottish geologist James Hutton, although only coined as a term 200 years later, by the American author John McPhee. Hutton posited that geological features were shaped by cycles of sedimentation and erosion, a process of lifting up then grinding down rocks that required timescales much grander than those of prevailing Biblical narratives.
  8. Feb 2019
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  12. Jun 2017
    1. Late last month, an excavator operator was working at a peat bog in the Polish municipality of Mircze when he accidentally stumbled upon this glorious specimen of 14th century craftsmanship. The remarkably well-preserved longsword is a unique find for the area, and its discovery has prompted an archaeological expedition.

      Awesome archeological find!

  13. May 2017