Re: Intelligent Dinosaur Paleo Civilization?
Ethan Vishniac (ethan@grendel.as.utexas.edu)
15 Jun 1995 14:21:08 GMT
Barry Mennen <barrym2@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
>Why oh why do anthropologists continue to refer to all stone fossil
>artifacts as "tools"? Would we refer to knives, guns, spears, &etc. as
>"tools"? IMHO it would appear as a more honest take on all this to (at
>least) _occassionally_ say "tools and weapons."
You shouldn't blame anthropologists for anything *I* say.
However, weapons *are* tools. They are tools for killing
animals and/or people. These tasks can be done with one's
bare hands, but I've been told that it's a lot more convenient
to use the appropriate tools.
"Quis tamen tale studium, quo ad primam omnium rerum causam evehimur,
tamquam inutile aut contemnendum detractare ac deprimere ausit?"-Bridel
Ethan T. Vishniac
Dept. of Astronomy also Associate Professor of Astrophysiology
The University of Texas G.G. Simpson Hereditable Chair of Evilution
Austin, Texas, 78712 University of Ediacara
ethan@astro.as.utexas.edu `Knowledge, Wisdom, Beer'
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