[Magdalen] praising the Liberal Arts

[Ann Markle]

I see. Agreed, though the literature you cite is from the Middle East, not
primarily Europe per se (and my assumption is they’re referring to northern
and western Europe, which may be incorrect). The curious/surprising thing
to me was the 17:1 woman/man ratio, and how that was deduced by reading the
human genome. It makes it surprising that polygamy developed (though again,
not in northern and western Europe — in fact, maybe that’s why it DIDN’T
develop there!): polyandry would make a lot more sense!

On Fri, Jun 1, 2018 at 3:18 PM ME Michaud <michaudme at gmail.com> wrote:

> The Old Testament is full of just the sort of thing the scientists are
> describing.
> People moving from one area to another,
> along with their families and livestock,
> conquering cities,
> killing the residents (or at least the men).
> Sometimes in battle.
> Sometimes by stealth.
>
> Nearly all of ancient literature is about war and occupation.
>
> And here are these scientists surprised to discover (in their study of
> genetics)
> that loads and loads of men died just as history was about to be born.
>
> If they’d done their undergraduate reading they wouldn’t have been
> surprised at all.
> -M
>
> On Friday, June 1, 2018, Ann Markle <ann.markle at aya.yale.edu> wrote:
>
> > Margaret, I'm trying to puzzle out what you mean here, but I just
> can't.  I
> > hate to be so dim, but could you say a little more?
> >
> > Ann
> >
> > The Rev. Ann Markle
> > Buffalo, NY
> > ann.markle at aya.yale.edu
> >
> > On Fri, Jun 1, 2018 at 10:44 AM, ME Michaud <michaudme at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I just read a news article that says that seven thousand years ago wars
> > had
> > > so reduced the male population that there was only one man living for
> > every
> > > seventeen women.
> > >
> > > Apparently these people have never read the Old Testament.
> > > Or the Bhagavad Gita.
> > > Hello Philip of Macedon. Hello Alexander the Great.
> > > Homer? That guy on the Simpsons?
> > > There was a time when epic was a noun.
> > > -M
> > >
> >
>
-- 
Ann

The Rev. Ann Markle
Buffalo, NY
www.onewildandpreciouslife.typepad.com