With so much to comment on in the last few weeks, I guess it’s only natural that there should be a lull at this time of year. No spectacular, media-worthy claims. No ancient thises or thats for The Subversive Archaeologist to pooh-pooh.
I’m watching the news ticker go ’round and ’round, and the best I can find is a socialist web-zine that’s using all of the recent claims about Neanderthals to argue that for several hundred thousand years we’ve been less guided by our genes than by our awareness of the (mostly) arbitrarily assigned social meaning of blue jeans.
27 December 2011
I’m guessing that the purpose for putting this on the World Socialist Web Site (published by the International Committee of the Fourth International) is that the social Darwinists (read biological determinists) are still haunting the consciousness of the Darwinian socialists.
Go ahead. Have a read. It’s good propaganda for the claimed existence of Neanderthal culture (and we all know how truthful propaganda can be).
The Subversive Archaeologist 
Here are a couple that you seem to have missed and that might be worth looking at. That is, if you are interested in the Holocene.
http://www.archaeologydaily.com/news/201111157548/Oldest-rock-art-in-Egypt-discovered.html
http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_11_11_21_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=23273
Actually, that first one isn't in the Holocene. Silly me.
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@Matt. Matt! Berkeley. Late 80s. No?
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Yes! Actually, Stanford late 80s and Berkeley early-mid-late 90s. I remember seeing a talk you gave at Stanford on your dissertation work when I was an undergrad. Nice blog!
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@ Matt. You're not that Matt, which you aleady knew! You were a student of Lori Hager. No? If I'm wrong again, just shoot me. I do remember your name and your face. Is that good enough for an old guy?
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Rob, that is remarkable given how briefly we met and how many years have intervened. Nice to know I made any impression at all. Yes, I was taking a class from Lori when you came through and lectured. Keep up the good work on the blog!
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Thanks for the encouragement. As for the remarkablenicity of my alleged memory…I remember Lori speaking very highly of you, and I'm pretty sure John Holson was equally impressed. It's hard to ignore that kind of praise. I'm glad to see you're gainfully employed in our field. As Kent Flannery once said, “Archaeology is still the most fun you can have with your pants on!” As for the Holocene: I'm an equal opportunity critic. Thanks for the ideas. See you around…
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