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From: dubois@uwmacc.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.books
Subject: Re: Clan of the Cave Bear - info request
Message-ID: <141@uwmacc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Jul-84 13:50:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: uwmacc.141
Posted: Thu Jul 12 13:50:31 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Jul-84 01:01:38 EDT
References: <350@pyuxss.UUCP>
Organization: UWisconsin-Madison Academic Comp Center
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>[Sharon Badian...]
> 	I've read both The Clan of the Cave Bear and The Valley
> of the Horses, which is the second book in the series(and I am
> eagerly awaiting any further novels!). I think the research was
> done on how Neanderthal people lived-what kind of tools they used,
> what they hunted, where they lived, things like that that scienticists
> can get from site remains. The religion and brain part seem very
> far-fetched, though interesting all the same. Since we have no
> written record of Neanderthal religion, we can only speculate.

And "scientists" certainly have engaged in their share of
speculation.  Since this is net.books, let me recommend G. K.
Chesterton's "Everlasting Man" for a wonderfully disdainful
view of this practice.

> 	Besides, who said that you need a bigger brain to remember
> lots of stuff. Most of the brain goes unused anyway.

I am not sure I believe this.  I have been taught that the idea
that the brain is largely unused is untrue.  (Although perhaps
this should not be believed either - see next comments.) Certainly
it is not all used for *cognition* (i.e., occipital cortex is for
visual function), but cognition can hardly be said to be the
only use to which brain can be put.  Can anyone document an
area which is unused?
-- 

Paul DuBois		{allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!dubois

And he is before all things, and by him all things consist...
						Colossians 1:17