Nexus - 0801 - New Times Magazine-pages

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Page 63 of 85
Nexus - 0801 - New Times Magazine-pages

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because "it implies a human race older by at least one half than Pithecanthropus erectus of Dubois, which may be regarded as an incipient form of human only". Not all of the evidence for Tertiary Homo comes from the 19th century. K. N. Prasad (1982:101), of the Geological Survey of India, described "a crude unifacial hand-axe pebble tool recovered from the Late Miocene-Pliocene (9-10 m.y. BP) at Haritalyangar, Himachal Pradesh, India". He added (1982:102): "The imple- ment was recovered in situ, during remeasuring of the geological succession to assess the thickness of the beds. Care was taken to confirm the exact provenance of the material, in order to rule out the possibility of its derivation from younger horizons." Describing the tool itself, Prasad said (1982:102): "The quartz artefact, heart-shaped (90 x 70 mm), was obviously fabricated from a rolled pebble, the dorsal side of which shows rough flak- ing... On the ventral side, much of the marginal cortex is present at the distal end. Crude flaking has been attempted for fashioning a cutting edge. Marginal flaking at the lateral edge on the ventral side is visible." Prasad concluded (1982:103): "It is not impossi- ble that fashioning tools commenced even as early as the later Miocene and evolved in a time-stratigraphic period embracing the Astian-Villafranchian." The discoveries of Ribeiro, and other evidences for Tertiary man uncovered by European archaeologists and geologists, are today attributed (if they are discussed at all) to the inevitable mis- takes of untutored members of a young discipline. Another possible explanation is that some of the discoveries are genuine, and were filtered out of the normal discourse of a com- munity of archaeologists that had adopted, perhaps prematurely, an evolutionary paradigm that placed the origins of stone tool- making in the Pleistocene. But as the time-line of human toolmaking begins once more to reach back into the Tertiary, perhaps we should withhold final judgement on Ribeiro's discoveries. A piece of the archaeological puzzle that does not fit the consensus picture at a particular moment may find a place as the nature of the whole picture changes. As an historian of archaeology, I believe that the discoveries of Ribeiro remain worthy of being considered in discussions of the earliest human occupation of Europe. I am pleased that the Museo Geoldgico in Lisbon is once more considering exhibiting the artifacts.’ I also encourage new investigations at Monte Redondo and other sites identified by Ribeiro. oo About the Author: reached Eocene river channels, sealed under __ village of Otta (Ribeiro, 1866:42). (6) Monte Michael A. Cremo is a Research Associate hundreds of feet of Miocene and Pliocene Redondo, about two kilometres northeast of in the History and Philosophy of Science _ basalt flows in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Ota (Ribeiro, 1866:45). : with the Bhaktivedanta Institute, the sci- at places such as Table Mountain in 5. The Congress was held in the ornate main ence studies branch of the International Tuolumne County, California. See Cremo hall of the library in the building housing the Society for Krishna Consciousness. His 2"d Thompson (1993:370-393, 439-452) for Academia Real das Ciéncias, located on the work as an historian of archaeology is 2 ‘eview and discussion. floor below the Museu Geoldgico. The hall, ‘ facyali fl fl 2. The Museu Geoldgico is located on the still there today, is worth a visit. AS erect tire ed gies. [ee second floor of the 17th-century building in 6. In July 2000, | retraced the commission's these writings are the Puranas or histories, the historic centre of Lisbon that also houses _— route. There is a road leading east from Otta . A the Academia Real das Ciéncias de Lisboa. |__ to Aveiras de Cima. Just as this road leaves fnieh sooa a, al human Presence going was able to match artifacts in the museum Otta, one turns onto a small dirt road leading back many millions of years, contradicting collection to 21 of the 128 drawings of arti- north and, following it, one eventually the current evolutionary theories of human facts shown in Ribeiro’s principal publication comes to Monte Redondo. Monte Redondo Lillis, \ . on them (Ribeiro, 1871). Artifacts were and the surrounding area remain in a natural , Michael Cremo's most recent publica- matched to figures 13, 15, 16, 26, 27, 29, condition, undisturbed by any construction. tion, "Puranic Time and the Archaeological 36, 36b, 43, 45, 46, 55, 62, 63, 64, 73,74, Although | suspect the landscape has Record", was originally presented as a 77, 80, 82, 94. Assuming that all the arti- changed somewhat, ravines on the southern paper at the World Archaeological facts figured in Ribeiro's 1871 publication slopes of Monte Redondo, like those Congress 3, New Delhi, 1994, and is were originally in the collection, it appears described in the report of the conference included in the WAC3 Proceedings vol- _ that most are now misplaced or otherwise expedition, are still visible. Their profiles ume, Time and Archaeology, edited by Tim missing. resemble the one figured by de Mortillet Murray (published by Routledge, 1999). 3. The Instituto Geoldgico e Mineiro is (1883:101). Another paper, "The Later Discoveries of located in Alfragide, in the newer western 7. In the Pithecanthropus erectus discovery, Boucher de Perthes at Moulin Quignon — suburbs of Lisbon. The library of the Museu Dubois associated a femur with a skullcap. and their Bearing on the Moulin Quignon Geoldgico was transferred there from central Considering the historical impact of Jaw Controversy", has been selected for Lisbon a few years ago. Pithecanthropus on consideration of evi- publication in the Proceedings of the XXth 4. The main guide to the localities | visited dence for Tertiary humans, it is noteworthy International Congress of History of Was Ribeiro's 1866 publication. The locali- _ that modern researchers no longer consider Science, held in Liége, Belgium, July _ ties that | found, with considerable help from _ the association genuine. When Day and 19-26, 1997. His pao men book @ Portuguese friends who served as drivers and _—_ Molleson (1973) carefully re-examined the Forbidden Archeology's Impact (1998). It translators, were: (1) A site atthe base of an _ femur, they found it not different from documents the varied responses to his con- _°SCarpment that runs along the north side of |—_ anatomically modern human femurs and dis- A . , _ the road that goes from Carregado to tinct from all other erectus femurs. (gas. coraLtioreel with vi thompsone” Cadafaes (Ribeiro, 1866:28). The site is 8. Leakey herself (1979:453) said the prints , —_ [sete about half the distance between Carregado were exactly like anatomically modern and Cadafaes (now spelled Cadafais), and human footprints—a judgement shared by Endnotes . . can be reached by a small dirt road going some physical anthropologists (Tuttle, 1. Whitney was a prominent geologist, and through some vineyards. (2) Quintade Cesar 1981:91, 1987:517). Tim White said, "Make his reports on the discoveries were published —_ in Carregado (Ribeiro, 1866:32). (3) The hill no mistake about it. They are like modern by the Harvard University Museum of called Murganheira, east of Alemquer human footprints" (Johanson and Edey, Comparative Zoology. The discoveries (Ribeiro, 1866:34). (4) Encosta da Gorda, 1981:250). included anatomically modern human skele- near the eastern side of the Murganheira hill tal remains and stone artifacts, such as mor- (Ribeiro, 1866:34). (5) The site on the right References tars and pestles and obsidian spear-points. bank of the River Otta, where it passes the Turn to pages 83-84. They were found in gold mining tunnels that References Turn to pages 83-84. 62 - NEXUS RESURRECTING RIBEIRO DECEMBER 2000 — JANUARY 2001