Evolutionary rollercoaster

[Rokcet Scientist]

But they're "Japanese."

You're projecting ethnocentrism on peoples who may have not have suffered from that particular problem.

"May" is the operative word here: the Japanese don't exactly have a good track record where welcoming foreigners is concerned! They forbade foreigners entry into Japan for many centuries, punishable by death. Only the Dutch were allowed to trade with Japanese, but they had to do so on/from an island – Dejima – set aside especially for the purpose, in the Bay of Nagasaki. They were NOT allowed to set foot into Japan proper. For centuries!

Xenophobia is an integral part of Japanese culture.

The island of Dejima in the Bay of Nagasaki:


Fun with geishas:

[Digit]

"May" is the operative word here: the Japanese don't exactly have a good track record where welcoming foreigners is concerned!

Well it is their country, therefore the choice is theirs surely?

Roy.

[Minimalist]

I simply don't know if such concepts apply 15,000 years ago. You'd have to convince me that there was some consciousness above the clan-level.

[Minimalist]

Granted. But is the microlith inferior so that it was deemed necessary to change?
The Ak47 is obviously superior to the scimitar and justifies the change, but is that so with the microlith?
I would add that others dispute Goodyear's conclusions on this.

Roy.

I suspect that it is. A single large spear point fastened securely on a shaft can be a formidable weapon.



Presumably had Alexander wished he could have used microblade technology instead but opted not to.


I agree that others dispute Goodyear. But he has the flakes and we are waiting for the others to die off.

[Digit]

for the others to die off.

Goodyear, at my last reading, agreed that Topper could have been a quarry, that is what makes me cautious. If you are preparing stone to trade, predressing helps reduce the weight the customer has to carry, thus he will carry more 'tools' and less dross, more profitable to both parties and reduces the chance of trading stone containing inclusions or hidden faults, good for your rep.
Therefore the flakes that he has recovered might just be the rubbish left behind, after all, if it was a quarry why produce flakes then leave them?

Roy.

[Minimalist]

In 1998, inspired by potential pre-Clovis sites like Monte Verde, Chile, and Cactus Hill, Virginia, Goodyear decided to dig deeper. After some 40 cm of essentially barren deposits, the excavators began finding small flakes and microtools.

If my rather shaky knowledge of metrics holds that is about a foot and a half. Archaeology generally assumes that deeper means older thus, for quite some time, nothing was going on at Topper separating two periods of activity.

[Digit]

nothing was going on at Topper separating two periods of activity.

Any idea about the rate of deposition/time scale MIn? 40cm is 16 inches BTW if that helps.

Roy.

[Rokcet Scientist]

"May" is the operative word here: the Japanese don't exactly have a good track record where welcoming foreigners is concerned!

Well it is their country, therefore the choice is theirs surely?

Of course it is. In the strictly legal sense. So refusing foreigners entry is institutionalized xenophobia.

[Digit]

institutionalized xenophobia.

So what. At least they aren't bothering other countries, not a bad policy I reckon.

Roy.

[Minimalist]

40cm is 16 inches BTW if that helps.

See how useful you metric types are?

[Digit]

We have other uses Min. Give me a bit of time and I'll think of something!

Roy.

[Minimalist]

So refusing foreigners entry is institutionalized xenophobia.

Or.... a good idea!

[Digit]

Long before I heard of OOA or MR Min I had formed the conclusion that those of a 'western' origin were not the same peoples as elsewhere, and had developed separately.
One of my reasons was the massive differences in culture. How ever different a country's culture may be it has, long term, to be acceptable to its people.
Westerners seem to have the belief that their way of life, their mores, their culture etc is in some way superior to the rest of the world. An attitude that many non westerners find insulting.
An example of this is the manner in which our two governments seem to believe that Iraq can be turned into a democratic country, it will fail.
Only we westerners seem to hold to the idea that everybody has the right to live where so ever they wish, move away from those countries with a 'western' culture and you will be very hard put to find a nation that welcomes aliens. Japan is far from being the only insular state, in fact they are in the majority.

Roy.

[Rokcet Scientist]

So refusing foreigners entry is institutionalized xenophobia.

Or.... a good idea!

No, it is only postponing the inevitable.

[Digit]

No, it is only postponing the inevitable.

The Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Russians, New Zealanders, Australians, Indians Bangla deshi, Pakistan, Swiss, most African, Midde Eastern and South American countries simply make long term stayers unwelcome, very sucessfully I might add.
We are the minority view, not them.
America could stop illegal immigration from south America if they wanted to badly enough.
Look how many illegals avoid France in preference to your country and mine.

Roy.