>I don't believe in a garden of eden theory=2C . I was referring to the actu=
>al scientific research=2C you'll find that there was  an explosion in innov=
>ation(re invention of nets/traps etc.) c. 60=2C000 years ago=2C with very l=

I assume you are aware of the Toba population bottleneck theory - that a catastrophic volcanic eruption reduced the human population to several thousand individuals roughly 70,000 years ago? That would explain a lot on both sides of the issue. For instance, it has been said that modern humans do not display the genetic variations expected in a species hundreds of thousands of years old - which makes sense if the genetic base pool was indeed reduced to a minimum. It's quite possible that the small pocket(s) of survivors had to become more innovative in order to survive. It's also possible that the groups who did survive were also regular users (and abusers) of the evil fire.

But, this is all speculation, of course. 

>e fires going out=2C try lighting a fire in the lake district at easter. Ev=
>en when using matches etc.=2C and the partial protection of a tent-door on =
>one side=2C it's a living hell trying to keep a fire going.

I'm sorry, but I have no experience in the "lake district" (I don't even know where it is). But, I doubt it's too much different from keeping a fire going on the peaks of the Sawtooth Wilderness in Idaho. However, I find it doubtful any indigenous humans would settle in an area with raging winds and little or no fuel. Perhaps they'd pass through on hunting trips, but would eventually return home to a much better camp.

> I don't buy the notion that =
>Palaeo peoples had all this spare time. For one thing=2C hunting isn't all =
>that easy(one has to cope with famine=2C climate=2Cillness etc.=2C and it t=
>akes a hell of a lot of time for primitive hunters to track wild animals=2C=

You'll have to take that up with the experts who have posted otherwise. Like I said, the estimates were 4 hours per day taking care of survival needs. To be fair I doubled it. Allowing for 10 hours of sleep each day, that sill leaves 6-8 hours of "free" time. 

>They did have a culture of their own=2C the later=
> palaeolithic peoples had cave-paintings /religious observances etc.

So, paleolithic culture and religion preclude cooking?

>  Anoth=
>er obvious point is that the Inuit and other tribes would often eat some pa=
>rts of the kill right on the spot where the carcass lay=2C rather than taki=

Probably taking it back to camp for a big feast around the fire :)

>ng every piece of it back to be laboriously cooked. At any rate=2C cooking =
>can't be seen as less of a hassle than eating a food raw.

As I believe was pointed out yesterday - it's common for the hunters to eat raw at the kill site and then take it back to camp for prep/cooking.