Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Earliest Europeans In North America, Speculation

How the earliest European arrivals dealt with the sophisticate peoples of the Hopewell system interest es me. How early did significant culture interaction and exchange occur between Hopewell people and perhaps even Adena people and Europeans? Certainly some arrived in the decades around the time of Columbus's explorations. Some very probably before that. Europeans were in North America before Jamestown and Plymouth and some may have looked over the area we now call Kentucky and may be the source of that name. The earliest Europeans to come into the new land did not come in overwhelming numbers or with overwhelming weapons so they would have had to deal with Native Peoples on a more nearly equal basis than the did at later times.

I've heard rumors of Welsh and Irish cultural and linguistic artifacts found among Indian peoples. Must be some interesting stories there.

More Adena and Hopewell


The Adena culture which probably gave birth to the Hopewell Exchange System Not only used the spear, bow and arrow, and sophisticated trapping techniques, but also use a variety of spear throwers of excellent design. As we have said, hunting, fishing and wild gathering was in addition to a practical and efficient practice of agriculture.

There religion seems to have been strong and important and there remains evidence of their centers.Much of what we know about their religion consists of physical remains and artifacts that seem to have no economic use. We might profit by recognizing that many cultures were more whole than is ours and that the peoples of those cultures often did not emphasize the cultural categories that we do. For example the famous 'mounds' to which we have tended to give religious cognizance, probably had that, they were probably also focal points of trade, commerce, and social gatherings.
They may also have been teaching and and research centers. the mounds, for example, seem to be related to cycles they celebrated, measured by the lunar maximum and minimum as measured along the horizon. The solstices, equinoxes, and their quarters were also tracked at the mounds.

Like the rest of us, they seemed to have practiced 'art for arts sake.' An example of of their sensibilities may be seen in their many stone relief carvings. A marvelously graceful and clean lined carving in mica of a human hand remains strongly with me.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Around Camp Thunderbird

Made considerable progress in cleaning up around the property today.
Have hopes of finishing most of it tomorrow. Guys helping were mildly surprised at the size of one scorpion we found under one not very old pile of rubble.

Took a written test and an eye test at the DMV today to renew my drivers licenses. I was not very surprised at not making any errors on the written test, but was nicely surprised at doing very well on the vision test. Did well enough not to have to renew again for another five years. Its getting so that I can imagine living that long.

My tenant in Joshua Tree called today. His name is Joshua. Among other things he said that it is likely that he will be moving in October. He and his wife have been very good tenants and I will be sorry to lose them.
I was not expecting them to move, but I am now remembering that I told myself, a year or so ago, that when they moved, I would probably move into that pleasant little house. So, now that this place is just beginning to look like a place I can be proud to live, I may be moving.

I have much more capital in this place than I do in the JT place, but may not be able to get any more rent for it. I might be able to get another $50 a month.
I wouldn't be moving for the cash, but rather to be living in a place that was closer to shopping, transportation, and health services. The move would also help to get rid of more stuff. If it turned out to be too noisy I could move back here, or elsewhere.

Long Now

The present moment
That lives on to become
Long ago.


This present moment
Used to be
The unimaginable future.

I got the two sentences above from the people at Home Farm of the School of the Natural Order. They got them, or inspiration for them, from the people of www.longnow.org

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I discover, get understanding, enjoy myself, and take care of business.

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