Re: Amerindian navigators and Eurocentrism in scholarship

[dweller@ramtops.demon.co.uk (Doug Weller)]

On Thu, 11 Sep 1997 16:55:09 -0700, in sci.archaeology.mesoamerican, Jeffrey L
Baker wrote:

>
>> Jeffrey L Baker (jbaker@U.Arizona.EDU) wrote:
>> : On 9 Sep 1997, Yuri Kuchinsky 17784 wrote:

>
>> Besides, in order to explain the numerous cultural parallels you will have
>> to resort to some sort of an updated version of the Psychic Unity of Man
>> theory, which is nothing but mumbo-jumbo. 
>
>I don't buy any "Psychic Unity of Man" mumbo-jumbo. I don't think the
>so-called "cultural parallels" are as significant as you (or Carter or
>Heyerdahl) claim.

Yes. Yuri is claiming here that there is no argument over his cultural parallels
-- he's expecting us to accept them without debate, then explain how they could
have occurred without trade, etc.  He also seems to deny the possibility of
independent invention here, suggesting that if there is a cultural parallel the
only explanations are his psychic unity theory (which he doesn't understand) or
contact.

And so far as Heyerdahl having lots of primary sources, I'm sure Bernard
wouldn't mind if I quoted him:

>let us not forget that we have repeatedly asked Yuri for citations
>by the scholars who actually excavated and found *C. moneta* cowrie shells
>in an Adena culture mound. We need evidence that the dig was done
>correctly, that the identity of this species of shell was proven, and that
>there was no sister species native to the New World existed. Do not keep
>going to new topics before we settle this question-- or retract the claim.

Doug