Post by L Roebuck on Nov 7, 2006 16:15:12 GMT -5
For ancient Ohioans, caves were more shelter than home
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
BRADLEY T. LEPPER
Most of us think of our Paleolithic ancestors as cave men. It is an unfortunate stereotype because, although ancient people throughout the world used caves when they could find them, the spaces were mostly for temporary shelters or ritual sites. Contrary to what you see in comics such as B.C., ancient people generally did not live in caves.
A recent book looks at how people have used Ohio’s caves and rock shelters from ancient times to the modern era. Caves & Culture 10,000 years of Ohio History is a collection of reports of archaeological explorations of caves in various parts of the state, especially the southeastern region. One of the editors, and a contributor to almost every chapter, is Olaf Prufer, a professor of anthropology at Kent State University. The book is primarily a synopsis of Prufer’s extensive research on this aspect of Ohio’s past.
One of the most surprising conclusions of his research is that there is little or no evidence of the earliest Ohioans, members of the Ice Age Paleo-Indian cultures, at the sites considered by the authors.
Full Article
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
BRADLEY T. LEPPER
Most of us think of our Paleolithic ancestors as cave men. It is an unfortunate stereotype because, although ancient people throughout the world used caves when they could find them, the spaces were mostly for temporary shelters or ritual sites. Contrary to what you see in comics such as B.C., ancient people generally did not live in caves.
A recent book looks at how people have used Ohio’s caves and rock shelters from ancient times to the modern era. Caves & Culture 10,000 years of Ohio History is a collection of reports of archaeological explorations of caves in various parts of the state, especially the southeastern region. One of the editors, and a contributor to almost every chapter, is Olaf Prufer, a professor of anthropology at Kent State University. The book is primarily a synopsis of Prufer’s extensive research on this aspect of Ohio’s past.
One of the most surprising conclusions of his research is that there is little or no evidence of the earliest Ohioans, members of the Ice Age Paleo-Indian cultures, at the sites considered by the authors.
Full Article