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> the whole of paleo-anthropology "knew" that humans couldn't boil things until the invention of pottery Is that really true? That sounds unlikely when there a

> the whole of paleo-anthropology "knew" that humans couldn't boil things until the invention of pottery Is that really true? That sounds unlikely when there are so many contemporary counterexamples. If you have an interest in cooking, there are several traditional meals where cooking is done in other ways. Especially so for indigenous people who have little access to metals or clay. For example on Borneo the traditional way to cook rice over fire is inside bamboo stalks. As long as the water doesn't boil off, you can cook in almost any vessel.

pinkmuffinere 1y ago
Ya, I don't believe ```paleo-anthropology "knew" that humans couldn't boil things until the invention of pottery```, it doesn't pass 'the laugh test'. There are many survivalist youtube channels that demo multiple methods to boil water without pottery [1][2]. If I were an anthropologist, I would be looking at modern survivalist methods to get inspiration for 'ancient' habits. Surely the folks that have studied their whole lives have even better sources of inspiration to investigate. Unless we have some source to back it up, I can't see how this remarkable claim should be trusted. [1] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0zun_UxO2vU https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0zun_UxO2vU [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_kUTBM6Qo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_kUTBM6Qo
- josefx 1y ago
  > There are many survivalist youtube channels There is often a knowledge gap between different fields of expertise, someone else already cited medical doctors and psychologists reinventing well known mathematics badly. Also youtube attracts copy cats that use modern tools out of frame, so it isn't a reliable source of information. I can already see the discoveries "Great wall of china most likely build by single man with a stick, just ignore the excavator tracks".
zem 1y ago
yeah I remember learning in school that with sufficiently good heat conduction you could boil water in a paper cup, because the burning point of paper was higher than the boiling point of water.
quacksilver 1y ago
I'm also surprised that no one would have thought to use a stone crucible before pottery, or some sort of concave piece of stone Or cooked something in a natural hot spring or natural outlet where boiling/near-boiling water forces its way to the surface.

pinkmuffinere 1y ago

Ya, I don't believe ```paleo-anthropology "knew" that humans couldn't boil things until the invention of pottery```, it doesn't pass 'the laugh test'. There are many survivalist youtube channels that demo multiple methods to boil water without pottery [1][2]. If I were an anthropologist, I would be looking at modern survivalist methods to get inspiration for 'ancient' habits. Surely the folks that have studied their whole lives have even better sources of inspiration to investigate. Unless we have some source to back it up, I can't see how this remarkable claim should be trusted. [1] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0zun_UxO2vU https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0zun_UxO2vU [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_kUTBM6Qo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_kUTBM6Qo

josefx 1y ago
> There are many survivalist youtube channels There is often a knowledge gap between different fields of expertise, someone else already cited medical doctors and psychologists reinventing well known mathematics badly. Also youtube attracts copy cats that use modern tools out of frame, so it isn't a reliable source of information. I can already see the discoveries "Great wall of china most likely build by single man with a stick, just ignore the excavator tracks".

zem 1y ago

yeah I remember learning in school that with sufficiently good heat conduction you could boil water in a paper cup, because the burning point of paper was higher than the boiling point of water.

quacksilver 1y ago

I'm also surprised that no one would have thought to use a stone crucible before pottery, or some sort of concave piece of stone Or cooked something in a natural hot spring or natural outlet where boiling/near-boiling water forces its way to the surface.