On Sun, 4 Oct 1998 15:23:32 +1000, Cecilia Thornton-Egan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Amadeus Schmidt wrote:
>
>>When cooking came up, without any pots or pans, frying and boiling was not
>>possible, maybe meats have just been hung over the fire.
>
>Boiling is possible. Fill a leather skin or bladder with water and hang it
>up. Add pebbles which have been heated in a very hot fire.  The water will
>boil.

Hi, Cecilia, yes boiling in some bladder or stomach or similar was
possible, i also read it from som aboriginal books.
One difference in this kind of boiling was, that probably the
boiling water may have been used too ( it contains much of the
water-soluble vitamins), and that no metal surfaces contact the
foodstuff (lieads also to vitamin loss).

>Cecilia Thornton-Egan.
>
>PS Incidentally, I live in Australia and if there is any population which
>has been genetically isolated for millennia, it is the Australian
>aborigines (Kooris). They went straight fromm the stone age to European
>foods no more than two hundred years ago.  In fact, about ten years ago a
>tribe who had never seen white people was discovered in the central
>deserts. European food and culture have wreaked havoc on the Koori race.
I've always been a great fan of the culture of the australian aboriginals.
Admiring their strange abilities.
Recently i read and enjoyed a book which is on the bestseller lists over here
titled "Traumfaenger" (engl Dreamcatcher??).
Describes the living of an american woman wich a traditional living tribe
in australia.
It described very nicely a hunter/gatherer living in the desert.

regards

Amadeus