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Re: Ad Yurii Gloriam (Was Re: maize in ancient india: strong transpacific links are indicated)

On Thu, 16 Jan 1997, at 16:03:48, Yuri Kuchinsky cajoled electrons into
this
>Douglas Weller (dweller@ramtops.demon.co.uk) wrote:
>: On 13 Jan 1997 13:37:41 GMT, yuku@io.org (Yuri Kuchinsky) wrote:
>
>: >a) As Johannessen's research indicates that maize was a staple crop in
>: >that area, these cob fossils shouldn't really be that difficult to turn
>up : >in excavations. Is anyone looking for them? 
>
>: Yuri, no one has to look for them, if they are there they will be
>obvious! We : had this discussion before about chicken bones. Whenever
>archaeologists dig : they examine everything they find, and they'd be
>noticed. 
>
>Doug, with all due respect, I find your reasoning hopelessly flawed.
>
>Lets try this. You go to the bookstore to buy a certain book. Would your
>chances of finding this book be better if you were actually looking for it
>in the bookstore? Or -- if you were wandering aimlessly among the isles
>waiting for that book to fall off its shelf into your lap -- by itself?
>
>Think about it and let me know about the outcome of your deliberations...
>
>Regards,
>
>Yuri.

Hello Yuri

Whilst I dare say you are not intentionally insulting archaeologists and
their skills, and certainly not wishing to get into any protracted
discourse on the matter, I do have a bone to pick with you about your
comment above.

Your analogy is not analogical.  

Field archaeologists, certainly those with whom I have worked, are
methodical and meticulous.  It is stretching credulity beyond reasonable
boundaries to suggest that when material such as pollen is recovered
from an excavation, something as large as a chicken bone might be
overlooked.  After all, bones are one of the primary targets of an
excavation as they can reveal so much about environment and diet etc.

If you ever come to England, look me up and I'll take you along to a
real excavation so that you might see with your own eyes just what is
recovered and what is missed.

Regards

Marc