Re: AAT:Questions
George Black (gblack@midland.co.nz)
Tue, 10 Oct 95 00:02:48 GMT
>
> Sorry, but when I took SCUBA training, one of the things we
>learned is that there is _no such thing_ as "warm water diving." Even
>tropical surface waters cause chills, exhaustion, and hypothermia in a
>few hours. The human body shows _no_ adaptation to deal with the kind
>of long-term immersion that AAH would require.
Hurrah, (and may I add) as a sports diver for a number of years -- one of the
things that no-one has mentioned here is the thermocline.
The energy of the swimmer/wader/diver is compromised by the chill factor, the
workload (working against the tides, wave action, etc)
Further, lengthy periods spent in salt water can upset the metabolism through
osimosis.
I can believe that AAT(tm) was a shore forager picking shellfish and catching
fish from tidal pools.
BUT
Was the AAT(tm) a user of fire? What tools were available to them?
Would basketmaking and therefore netmaking technology have been
known/available?
What tool Industries on the shore/inland were in place at the time that
AAT(tm) is said to have existed?
Why is the 'Savanah'tm theory rejected so out of hand by the AAT(tm)
Why is the 'AAT(tm) theory rejected so out of hand by the 'Savanah'tm
All this wonderment about where AAT(tm) would sleep at night with non grasping
feet just proves that no-one has seen the many marvellous nature films about
the great apes who make beds in the foilage of trees.
Or the colonies of apes that inhabit the rock piles that are features of the
grasslands and plains of Africa
The thing that I wonder at is how long would it take the individual AAT(tm) to
gather sufficient protein to support themselves and their family group.
As a diver with all the aids of technology IMHO it would take me a certain
amount of time each day in the water. But I would be able to see what was
there and make a selection. Then to gear up and later to get dry and warm
would take somewhere about an hour.
Your AAT(tm) would be diving blind and would be gleaning blind.
However, if the two food gathering technologies were used in concert.
Hunting/scavenging, collecting nuts, berries and roots with some of the
members of the tribe/troop gleaning food from the sea such as many
coastal people do to this day it would seem more probable IMO.
Regards George
>
>David L. Burkhead
>r3dlb1@dax.cc.uakron.edu
>d.l.burk@ix.netcom.com
>
|