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I am none too convinced by the evidence of the Australian aborigines stories. They are so vague they could just be made up. To give you an idea how unlikely a

I am none too convinced by the evidence of the Australian aborigines stories. They are so vague they could just be made up. To give you an idea how unlikely a story would survive being passed down for 10,000 years is, the Tasmanian aborigines lost the ability to fish and and even start fire [1]. Given the critical nature of this information to survival how likely is it that a random story with no survival value would last 10,000 years? 1. http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2010/08/08/why-did-the-tasmanians-stop-ea/ http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2010/08/08/why-did-the-tas...

c22 11y ago
I'm out of my element here, but presumably the fact that they're able to tell stories implies that the fishing knowledge became no longer necessary for survival. It seems completely reasonable that entertaining stories would have more staying power than uneccesary procedural knowledge.
- danieltillett 11y ago
  Not been able to fish or make fire in a place like Tasmania if you are living a hunter gather lifestyle is quite a loss. We know from the archaeological record that the Tasmanian aboriginal population was able to fish for thousands of years after the sea level rose and cutoff Tasmanian from mainland Australia. No one really know why, but after thousands of years of fishing they somehow lost the knowledge of how to catch fish. If something as useful as fishing is lost (the seas around Tasmania teem with fish) then how likely is it that a folk tale would be passed down for 10,000 years by oral tradition.
shardinator 11y ago
Pre-euro Australia was more like Europe with different tribes/nations that shared common characteristics yet still had their own languages and cultures. Compare and contrast the difference in sophistication between the Romans and the gauls or germanic tribes around 200AD, they would seem totally different worlds. It could have been similar in Aus. Other indigenous Australian groups invented the boomerang - first ever practical use of aerofoil technology - precursor of modern flight and the woomera which launches a spear around 700-800m with accuracy. From what I remember their art was somewhat codified so it could almost be "read", this would make it easier to share information across time and place. If you have groups on two ends of the continent sharing very similar stories, then at least you'd have to allow the reasonable possibility it's more than just random noise.
- danieltillett 11y ago
  The boomerang was not invented in Australia [1]. Woomeras don't allow you to throw a spear 800m (200m at most). These were not invented in Australia either [2]. Both are really ancient technologies. As for different cultures sharing the same stories is no more surprising than people in England and China sharing similar stories. All pre-agricultural people have somewhat similar lives so we should expect they have similar stories and myths. Occam's razor should rule here. 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomerang https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomerang 2. http://www.donsmaps.com/atlatl.html http://www.donsmaps.com/atlatl.html

c22 11y ago

I'm out of my element here, but presumably the fact that they're able to tell stories implies that the fishing knowledge became no longer necessary for survival. It seems completely reasonable that entertaining stories would have more staying power than uneccesary procedural knowledge.

danieltillett 11y ago
Not been able to fish or make fire in a place like Tasmania if you are living a hunter gather lifestyle is quite a loss. We know from the archaeological record that the Tasmanian aboriginal population was able to fish for thousands of years after the sea level rose and cutoff Tasmanian from mainland Australia. No one really know why, but after thousands of years of fishing they somehow lost the knowledge of how to catch fish. If something as useful as fishing is lost (the seas around Tasmania teem with fish) then how likely is it that a folk tale would be passed down for 10,000 years by oral tradition.

shardinator 11y ago

Pre-euro Australia was more like Europe with different tribes/nations that shared common characteristics yet still had their own languages and cultures. Compare and contrast the difference in sophistication between the Romans and the gauls or germanic tribes around 200AD, they would seem totally different worlds. It could have been similar in Aus. Other indigenous Australian groups invented the boomerang - first ever practical use of aerofoil technology - precursor of modern flight and the woomera which launches a spear around 700-800m with accuracy. From what I remember their art was somewhat codified so it could almost be "read", this would make it easier to share information across time and place. If you have groups on two ends of the continent sharing very similar stories, then at least you'd have to allow the reasonable possibility it's more than just random noise.

danieltillett 11y ago
The boomerang was not invented in Australia [1]. Woomeras don't allow you to throw a spear 800m (200m at most). These were not invented in Australia either [2]. Both are really ancient technologies. As for different cultures sharing the same stories is no more surprising than people in England and China sharing similar stories. All pre-agricultural people have somewhat similar lives so we should expect they have similar stories and myths. Occam's razor should rule here. 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomerang https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomerang 2. http://www.donsmaps.com/atlatl.html http://www.donsmaps.com/atlatl.html