Can you tell I just took my first paleoarchaeology test?

[jackshoegazer]

No, I don't care who found Ardi, the fossil that gave us ardipithecus ramidus, the oldest known biped.  How does knowing who found it contribute in any way whatsoever to my understanding of human evolution?  Oh, it doesn't?  Okay.  I get it.  Archaeology is like dinner time in the prison cafeteria.  You jealously hoard everything that's yours, afraid someone will jump you and take your mac & cheese.  Beware, someone might shank you academically!  If I have to listen to another lecture about some paleoarchaeologist pissing match, I'm going to... well, I'm going to do nothing but sit there because this is a required course and if the powers that be decide I need to know the pioneer who found a skull in the dirt, then that's what I'll do.  But I'll bitch about it on the internet.

Comments

[lost-in-my-room.livejournal.com]

here is actually a very interesting comic book (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_Sharps,_Cowboys,_and_Thunder_Lizards) that tells the history of just such a pissing match. it's called Bone Sharps, Cowboys and Thunder Lizards. much more interesting than a dry lecture