Friday, July 31, 2015

Numbers

When  did people start using numbers?

Neanderthal pursued a number of advanced tool making  activities for a very long time, then interbred with modern humans to produce fertile progeny (definition of same species).

see for example :  http://anthrojournal.com/issue/october-2011/article/neanderthal-cognitive-ability-and-technological-development


These kinds of technical activities require planning; and, planning requires numeric competence.  Understanding this connection requires thinking and deduction.

Our ancestors were counting when they were still making stone tools and wearing skins rather than spinning and weaving.  Our ancestors were counting 150,000 years ago, and possibly 250,000 years ago.  The opening paragraphs in many texts on origins of human numeric competence are silly.  

Even if you studied anthropology a long, long time ago, Google is your friend.

3 comments:

A Fisherman Lies said...

FFS. Crows, octopi and orang-utans - to name just a few - all use tools and solve complex puzzles. Be that as it may, they don't do math. The idea that use of tools = math is just daft.

Do tell us more about how you can't make yarn unless you're competent at calculus though. I find your bloviating amusing.

Aaron said...

Did you try making those Neanderthal tools without using numbers?

In particular, making the birch based resin requires a recipe that can be
scaled depending on the amount needed and the amount of birch bark available. The Resin was made consistently for 100,000 years, thus the recipe was taught from generation generation.

Post a pix of the resin you have made, or else I will not not believe you actually understand the recipe.

txvoodoo said...

"Post a pix of the resin you have made"

You first, dude. You are so funny. "I will posit something I haven't done. Show me how YOU did it or you're a liar/fraud."

Do you not realize how you reveal yourself? Bless your heart.