Posted on 10/18/2010 5:01:00 PM PDT by rdl6989
I read a theory somewhere years ago that sharing milk may have caused relations between the Skraelings (Native Americans) and the Vikings to go south in the North America. The idea being that the Vikings gave the Indians milk and they, in turn, got sick and ultimately drove the Vikings out. I can't remember what evidence they could have based that theory on though...
Given the state of water quality prior to the 18th century, getting buzzed for 100,000 years probably enabled our survival as a species. Most health problems in undeveloped countries are due to contaminated water, and the fermentation process kills most pathogens. Pre-20th century people drank wine with every meal as it was much safer than the water.
I wasn’t born for diggin deep holes
I’m not made for pavin long roads
I aint cut out to climb high line poles
But I’m pretty good at drinkin’ beer
Yep, bread is older than the 6,000 year old Earth. Reuters, the MSM, better believe it!
I cannot believe it. What is the name of that tribe?
Tasmanians.
They resembled Australian Aborigines, but were more primitive. No one knows how they got to Tasmania, but there is speculation that they floated over on downed trees during a storm. As I said earlier, they did not make boats or rafts.
They all died out from European diseases for which they had no immunity.
Maybe longer than that. Hallucinogenic mushrooms occur on every continent except Antartica (and who knows, maybe there are hallucinogenic lichens there....), and have been around longer than we have.
Last Friday afternoon, I drank a bunch of beer (and cider) with some marine biologists, anthropologists, and student interns in a room deep in the bowels of the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian. Very pleasant afternoon!
The story I remember is that a guy from Iceland went to America, built a hunting cabin with his crew, then came back and told people about it. Two crews went to his cabin, and surrounded by unclaimed wilderness and uncounted trees, decided to fight to the death over that one cabin already built (how Viking of them). The victors were not too pleased over their victory and there was ‘bad blood’ among them, and they went back to Iceland.
People have theorized that Christopher Columbus read Snorri Sturlasson, and thus knew of a land to the West - but after having read Snorri myself, I doubt it.
The Palawa.
This entry indicates some tool use and the building of huts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmanian_Aborigines
That level of primitiveness is unbelievable.
I only read one reference. I am certainly not an expert.
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