Archaeologica.org

Anyway, here's the story on Au. Sediba

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/scien ... ggest.html

Almost two million years after their last meals, two members of a prehuman species in southern Africa left traces in their teeth of what they had eaten then, as well as over a lifetime of foraging. Scientists were surprised to find that these hominins apparently lived almost exclusively on a diet of leaves, fruits, wood and bark.

circumspice wrote: By the way, boiling water in leather isn't all that difficult, or for that matter, in a clay lined pit or a hollowed out log either. But Native Americans weren't always 'pre-pottery'. They had ceramics for
a LONG time prior to the arrival of Europeans.

True, but I am focusing on YD and older, and to my knowledge there has been no evidence of any pottery then. However, I have often wondered why there has been no discovery of a clay pit. It seems that a pit should survive.

Ok, heat rocks in a fire and put them into a pit, log, or pouch. Let's see, how would this go:

"Hey you, low man on the totem pole (metaphor), pick up hot rocks and put them into the pit."

Farpoint wrote:

circumspice wrote: By the way, boiling water in leather isn't all that difficult, or for that matter, in a clay lined pit or a hollowed out log either. But Native Americans weren't always 'pre-pottery'. They had ceramics for
a LONG time prior to the arrival of Europeans.

True, but I am focusing on YD and older, and to my knowledge there has been no evidence of any pottery then. However, I have often wondered why there has been no discovery of a clay pit. It seems that a pit should survive.
Ok, heat rocks in a fire and put them into a pit, log, or pouch. Let's see, how would this go:

"Hey you, low man on the totem pole (metaphor), pick up hot rocks and put them into the pit."

"Absense of evidence is not evidence of absense."

"Absense of evidence is not evidence of absense."

True again, but I also wonder about the inverted radio carbon sequences that show up from time to time; eg Hyde Park paleontological site, Mastodon (Fisher; 2008), they can't all be trampling, it's too perfect.

Absence of evidence is indeed evidence of absence..... it is not PROOF of absence.

The fact that there is no evidence for invisible pink unicorns drinking margaritas in a Tiajuana bar on Mardi Gras does not mean they are real.

I see you're still confused, min -
You need to look at the right setting, at the right time, with the correct tools -

Its Cabo on Cinco de Mayo with tequila.

Its New Orleans on Mardi Gras with Hurricanes.

Of course, any discovery requires validation and reduplication by independent observers.

Ok, while doggy was tracking squirrels in the park we accidentally discovered black walnuts on the ground, which was attracting the squirrels. They have a green covering around the nut. Peeling the pulp off the nut with bare hands is a mistake, you end up with black stained hands that are very resistant to cleaning. I'm sure the paleoindians used it as a dye.

Edit to add Wiki link:

Black Walnut

Farpoint wrote:Ok, while doggy was tracking squirrels in the park we accidentally discovered black walnuts on the ground, which was attracting the squirrels. They have a green covering around the nut. Peeling the pulp off the nut with bare hands is a mistake, you end up with black stained hands that are very resistant to cleaning. I'm sure the paleoindians used it as a dye.

Edit to add Wiki link:

Black Walnut

ah yes tannin....
You just tanned your own hide..so ta speak

There is a pond in western Massachusetts (near tannery falls of course) that is the color of a strong tea brew. I'm not sure if this is natural or a result of the commercial tannery that was there 100 or more years ago.

Tannery Pond Savoy MA.

The brook from the ponds dam..a somewhat better image of the tea colored water

Ernie L wrote: ah yes tannin....
You just tanned your own hide..so ta speak

There is a pond in western Massachusetts (near tannery falls of course) that is the color of a strong tea brew. I'm not sure if this is natural or a result of the commercial tannery that was there 100 or more years ago.

Indeed, and we did not know previous to our experience. Also, tannins are necessary for tanning, heh heh. [From the movie KPAX: "hospital...hospitable, hmm".]