I've got to head out for a lesson, but will respond at least partially- > jdiebremse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Anyhow, by now the pattern of Diamond's narrative is > becoming > clear. Prehistoric human civilization flourishes. > Over time, > prehistoric human civilization overpopulates and > degrades its > environment causing it to retreat from its former > glory. Actually, he said that was his initial premise, but he realized that things were much more complex than just environmental problems. He lists 5 factors (which somebody posted earlier, but I'll repeat here: -damage people inflict on their environment -climate change outside human influence -hostile neighbors -loss of supporting or helpful neighbors -response of the society to problems I think he subsets under that last that the society must first perceive their problems in order to respond to them. [in the Prologue] > As I noted earlier, my first objection to this > Chapter is his use of > the term "Anasazi" for the people of Chaco Canyon. > "Anasazi" is > believed to have its origins in a Navajo word for > "ancient enemy..." <snip> True, yet most Americans have an inkling of what Anasazi means, while Ancient Puebloan will leave many scratching their heads; parentheses might have been useful to educate readers. <wry> I shall add that 'Navajo' is also a tacked-onto-the-people label, as they call themselves Dineh', and their homeland Dineh'tah. > Now while Diamond does in fact point out that > modern-day Puebloans > are indeed descendants of the people of Chaco Canyon > and Mesa Verde, > I can't help but feel that he brushes over that > fact. After all, > if the Chaco Canyon people continue to thrive to > this day, then they > don't make a very good type-example of "collapse"! On page 155, he states "It took many centuries to discover that, among those economies [Mimbres, Chaco, Mesa Verde, Hohokam, Mongollon, etc.], only the Pueblo economy was sustainable "in the long run," i.e. for at least a thousand years." He pointed out that while deforestation was a problem for the Anasazi/APs, it was not for the Hohokam, who didn't use wooden beams for their houses. So I don't think he ignores their descent from the APs. More in future, must go now! Debbi who is suspender-bustin' proud of her instructor's praise for Cezanne's progress :D __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
