Armenian cave yields ancient human brain

[Adsos Letter]

Source: Science News

PHILADELPHIA — In a cave overlooking southeastern Armenia’s Arpa River, just across the border from Iran, scientists have uncovered what may be the oldest preserved human brain from an ancient society. The cave also offers surprising new insights into the origins of modern civilizations, such as evidence of a winemaking enterprise and an array of culturally diverse pottery.

Excavations in and just outside of Areni-1 cave during 2007 and 2008 yielded an extensive array of Copper Age artifacts dating to between 6,200 and 5,900 years ago, reported Gregory Areshian of the University of California, Los Angeles, January 11 at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America. In eastern Europe and the Near East, an area that encompasses much of southwest Asia, the Copper Age ran from approximately 6,500 to 5,500 years ago.

The finds show that major cultural developments occurred during the Copper Age in areas outside southern Iraq, which is traditionally regarded as the cradle of civilization, Areshian noted. The new cave discoveries move cultural activity in what’s now Armenia back by about 800 years.

“This is exciting work,” comments Rana Özbal of Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey.

A basin two meters long installed inside the Armenian cave and surrounded by large jars and the scattered remains of grape husks and seeds apparently belonged to a large-scale winemaking operation.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/39826/title/Armenian_cave_yields_ancient_human_brain

[EFerrari]

1. Anyone who doubts the human race has a suicidal tendency needs to explain

the enduring ritual murder of girls and women.

[lostnotforgotten]

2. Male Homo Sapiens Have Not Changed Much - I Suspect They Got Tired Of the Honey Dos

eom

[EFerrari]

3. Apes don't do this. Silverbacks don't kill their females. n/t

[lostnotforgotten]

5. Just Shows That The Apes Are More evolved Than Current Male Homo Sapiens

eom

[Schema Thing]

8. actually they do, sometimes.

and w/o any apparent reason.


they go to war too.

[EFerrari]

9. If we had to rank the behavior, they go after the young of other males,

they go after other males and lastly, they lash out against females.

[aikoaiko]

15. sadly so do we. males killing males.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/gender.htm

Homicide trends in the U.S.
Trends by gender
Most victims and perpetrators in homicides are male
Male offender/Male victim 65.3%
Male offender/Female victim 22.7%
Female offender/Male victim 9.6%
Female offender/Female victim 2.4%

[bertman]

4. Sick, but funny.

:rofl:

The real meaning of this archeological find is that the Obama administration will have to devise a way to invade Armenia so we can destroy ALL of those pre-Christian sites that might be holding heathen artifacts.

[lostnotforgotten]

6. Chuckles

eom

[Confusious]

7. I think men ended up being sacrificed more then women in history

Wars, crucifixions, Aztecs, cannibals in Africa and the south pacific islands. They would eat the heart to get the strength of the person. Women, not sacrificed so much. Mutilated.

[EFerrari]

10. Cannibals ate to inhere power most of the time. Wars, Crucifixion and Aztecs

not so much, iirc. :)

[ColbertWatcher]

11. And even THAT brain thinks Sarah Palin is an idiot. n/t

[depakid]

12. Which came first- the wine, or the pots to keep it in!

[alfredo]

13. That region is still known for it's wineries. You can see the Vineyards

in Google earth. Areni Armenia. It will fly you east of the city. There's a few orchards, but mostly the neat rows of the vineyards.

[McCamy Taylor]

14. World's oldest city, Jericho c. 7000 BC also collected skulls, buried and decorated them.

Some were male, some were female. Those were not damaged so can't tell cause of death, but I would guess they were also trophies and that is what some anthropologists think from cultural studies. Head hunting/collecting is a worldwide practice in early civilizations that seems to decline, coincidentally when cultures learn how to manufacture their own busts and statues. They probably thought that the skull, which continues to resemble the living human face after death, had some kind of magical powers. Then they learned to use materials to make an even better looking replica of a human being, such as a copy of a god which would be more powerful than some mere mortal.

Just a thought.