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At 03:41 AM 2/6/2005 -0500, you wrote:

>When I was
>in Papua New Guinea, the local tribe had no shortage of good food and
>rhetoric was their art form.

I'd be interested in hearing more about your experience if it has relevance
on this list.  I think one of the best ways we can reconstruct stone-age
lifestyles is to look at people still living in tribal and h/g
groups.  Sadly, they are becoming harder and harder to find.


>There would have been old men telling tales of past achievements, young
>men intent on
>demonstrating they were up to the oldies' standards and children inspired
>by and playing at both.


Yes, the point about play is well taken.  Certainly as a child I took part
in some fairly high intensity play activities. I remember going until I had
to collapse on the ground in a heap (at least for a few seconds).  I think
this is also evident among animals in the wild.


>If you mean 'athletic' in the broad sense (almost as a synonym for
>fitness), I don't think I agree.
>But if by 'athletic' you mean modern athletic activities like running,
>football, swimming, basketball
>etc. that are constrained by rules and so require people to excel in a
>severely rule-constrained
>environment (and so become almost freaks), then yes, I'm right with you.
>(Think of how often so-
>called sports stars are injured - no paleo society could survive with such
>fickle, fragile warriors!)
>
>Keith

Yes, I mean the latter.  I think I made a post on this list about my
thoughts on the specificity of modern athleticism.  Maybe modern sport
would be a better term.

Tim

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