How Africa Became Black

Discover Magazine ^ | 2-1994 | Jared Diamond

[68skylark]

The central conclusion of his first popular book was that civilizations that became advanced did so because of lucky geographic locations....more domesticable crops and animals...not because the people that lived there were fundamentally smarter than people that lived in more primitive areas.

This seems to annoy a lot of FReepers.

Interesting comment. Based on what you said I think I'd be a little annoyed with the "lucky geography" conclusion also -- not because I really think some people are smarter than others, but because I DO think some people have more productive cultural attitudes than others. So there's more to prosperity than "lucky geography."

[68skylark]

I think I get a sense for your objections to his work. I think some of your observations have merit. But overall I DO like this article.

[satan]

You beat me to it.

I guess diversity here can do the same it did for Africa.

[68skylark]

I think your "smarter than" comment is out of line -- it probably didn't come out sounding like you wanted it to.

[hgro]

Ho Humm and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Wake me at the end of this trivia.

[Cheburashka]

That's one I read and liked the continental axis thing. I still don't understand his explanation why the Africans failed to domesticate any animals. It looks like the zebra would have been a great 'beast-of-burden.'
---
Some animals are not domesticatable.
Take elephants. Asian elephants can be domesticated and trained. African elephants, on the other hand, cannot.
Hannibal used Mauritanian elephants, a third species that has since gone extinct.
I read a chapter in a book (sorry, don't remember the name) once that listed all the animals species that were domesticated as work animals world-wide by man, and discussed the species related to those that were not, such as zebras.
It mentioned that in the 19th Century English nobleman tried to train zebras to be used to pull his carriage.
They could be trained after a fashion but they were always dangerous to work with. They might for no reason decide to bite someone, and there was no way to get the zebra to let go, short of rendering the zebra dead or unconscious. You can imagine the ruckus if the bitee was a five-year-old girl who wanted to "pet the horsie". And somehow muzzles would just ruin the effect of having zebras in the first place, don't you know?
As a side not the only animal that was native to the Americas that could be used as a draft animal was the Llama.
In some areas of the world there is no local animal that fits the bill.

[Castlebar]

He looks like the guy who takes the youth group to sing at nursing homes.

Ouch!

I took the youth groups (actualy, the ninth graders) to sing and play the brass instruments last Christmas at the nursing homes. I 'm pretty damn ugly, but I look nothing like that guy.......

[blam]

"As a side not the only animal that was native to the Americas that could be used as a draft animal was the Llama."

Yup...even so, they still did manage to domesticate the turkey and guinney(sp) pig.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[TexasTransplant]

DOGS, Domesticated World wide, includes Africa! (North and South)

Also Cattle (Bovine) by that time were domesticated on every Continent but Australia.

That was just a quick search, but I think Goats and Sheep may have also been domesticated by that time, almost World wide.

(Cats are still not domesticated, IMHO)

[Cheburashka]

Not sure what your point is.
Once an animal species is domesticated in one area, it can be transported to any other location that it is compatible with and used for work there. Cows and horses were transported in the last five hundred years to the Americas and Australia.
Cows, dogs, sheep and goats have been domesticated for so long, it's hard to know where they were first domesticated. It is possible they were domesticated several places separately.

[nopardons]

bttt

[TexasTransplant]

How did I post this on this thread?"

I cross threaded somewhere, my apologies

I found this aberration (my out of place post) while looking for collaboration on the domestication of Dogs for this thread, weird thing is it almost made sense.

I usually have 4 or 5 FR threads open at once, no telling which one that post was meant for (since I have closed all others but this) for the evening.

Please accept my apologies

TT

[TexasTransplant]

The Domestication of Dogs was pretty much the gist of my point, Worldwide, including Australia and they were domesticated prior to any known History even Neanderthal had a relationship with "dogs / wolves" that may have been considered domestic.

[A CA Guy]

I think Africa is screwed up for the most part and when they point to diversity as being a strength, I think Africa proves diversity is what you GET OVER, it is NOT a strength.
Diversity of culture can be a bad thing.
Diversity of many marketable skills is a good thing.

Nazis and tribes who kill each other acting out in Africa to me is a horror in our time.

[blam]

"Please accept my apologies"

No problem. It made sense to me, lol.

[TexasTransplant]

>>>>"What about the Pygmies? They're the only one of Africa's five races that lacks a distinct language: each band of Pygmies speaks the language of its neighboring black farmers."<<<<

The Negritos of the Philippines follow this same language trend and they to make up but a very small percentage of the Filipino population.

[TexasTransplant]

Your a Gem

Thanks

TT