Anthropologist Argues that Modern Humans Are Wimps

Hard to argue with such a statement when you prove it so well, christine.

wonder when that book will be available in the US?

“Australian aboriginals threw a hardwood spear 110 meters or more (the current world javelin record is 98.48)”
Rubbish, they used a woomera to get distance and it wasn’t anywhere near 110 meters.

Aw, man. Too bad we no longer have to take down a woolly mammoth for food.

I think we would win in a war against cavemen.

If the Romans all completed such marathons, wouldn’t they all have dropped dead like the fellow at Marathon?

If the Tutsis exceeded the world records, wouldn’t THAT be the world record?

Weren’t the earliest homininds nearly four foot tall? They can really beat Schwarzenegger at anything?

Anthropology must be one of those “take my word for it” sciences.

There are so many problems with this – first, who’s saying they were better? We can do more with technology. (Re: Christine – the modern world has way more philosophers than ancient Greece, as we have more time in which to do it and a societal support system.) Also, it’s very difficult to estimate time from stride, as it depends on height, and one would need a very complete archaeological record to estimate the average height of those people. Neanderthals were differently muscled, yes – they may even have been a separate species. Roman soldiers could march (they jogged, actually) really far – but people RUN in a marathon and it only takes a couple hours. And how do they know how far a spear was thrown? Who’s measuring out in the wilderness?
In our modern world we don’t *need* to be incredibly strong and fit and powerful to survive, but that doesn’t make us wimps.

As a former rower I find it kind of hard to believe that ancient rowers would beat modern ones. Knowledge of how the body works and the correct ways to train for rowing in my opinion would put modern rowers FAR above ancient ones. If we are using equipment available to the people at the time then modern rowers definitely win. Even adding the use of the legs in modern day rowing puts us head over heals above ancient rowers.

Well, they all died at half (or less) the current life-expectancy, too. I’d hazard to guess that that sort of thing wears down the body at much higher rates.

Noting that a Neanderthal woman could beat Arnold at arm-wrestling says as much about modern humans as saying that a female gorilla could beat Arnold at arm-wrestling. We aren’t the biggest apes, but that doesn’t indicate a physical decline in our species.

Things were always bigger and bestest in the past. Ask any old person.

cannot-log-in: Yes, during my military service we did some marchs of about 50 kms too, fully loaded. You can walk a lot when you’re in shape…

Rocky: the difference is that the Roman legions did it marching while the marathon guy supossedly did it jogging. And most historicians think that what it really did was going from Athens to Sparta to carry a message, then back from Sparta to Athens (153 miles, which he did in three days!!!), and then to Maraton, to tell the Spartan reply, and then from Maraton to Athens to carry the news of the victory. And in the original sources there is no telling of him dying after it.

He was called in Athens “the horse man” because he delivered messages to long distances faster than a horse (he has to rest less) but he would take the money paid to horse-messengers anyway

This sounds like lazy and speculative ‘science’.

Rocky: Weren’t the earliest homininds nearly four foot tall? They can really beat Schwarzenegger at anything?

While I agree with most of the comments here that the linked article is basically junk science, it’s certainly possible that a smaller creature could be significantly stronger than a human. See this article which discusses (briefly) the general strength of chimpanzees, due to different muscle structure: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2/can-a-90-lb-chimp-clobber-a -full-grown-man

I find chimps a lot less cute since I read that.

Quack makes provocative claims to sell books. News at eleven.

wimpy modern man is less grunty and strong than caveman, in other fucking obvious news, salt is salty.

And modern man has gone to the moon and split the atom.

The thesis here is weak sauce.

Seeing is believing. I would have to see pre-historic men blowing past our modern day olympic athletes before I believed it. Anyone can speculate. I personally think that pre-historic man would not stand a chance!