Bit of a silly question but...

Did 'cavemen' cut their hair? I know this sounds like such a silly question, but I was sat in the bath (where else ) pondering the life universe and everything as you do and this random question popped into my head. I'm talking neolithic kind of age... sorry if this seems like a completly pointless question I just really want to know lol

no barbering tools have ever been found in any site attributed to what you are terming cave man
also
the neo-lithic (new-stone) age was characterised by the first settlements made from purpose built dwellings
so the neolithic wasn't an era that had "cave men", as men at that time generally lived in small villages.
the neolithic was so named because it was an age before the widespread use of metals
so what kind of barber tools were you thinking of ?
they had combs like this one made from bone

but unfortunately no scissors

MMMmmm... intersting ?. I think about those things too. LIke, how did they really get clean...? And were they canables? I think if i was a cave man i would be a canable. Sounds weird, but think of it... a caveman. duuhhh
And how well did they communicate. Seems weird that we blossumed form things like that.W E
peace

They could have shaved and cut their hair. Native Americans shaved using clamshells (no, I don't know the details) long before the Europeans arrive, and their ancient tales mention cutting hair and dressing hair.

They could certainly scrape it from hides.

Originally posted by foxylad-ay
MMMmmm... intersting ?. I think about those things too. LIke, how did they really get clean...? And were they canables? I think if i was a cave man i would be a canable. Sounds weird, but think of it... a caveman. duuhhh

Some were cannibals, but most weren't. Frankly, you need food that grows faster than human beings in order to survive. So a buffalo calf that matures to 600 or 1,000 pounds in a year can feed a family. A 10 lb human child couldn't do that.

Cannibalism seems to have been a "special diet" sort of situation (as a result of war, acquiring someone's power, remembering the dead, etc.)

And how well did they communicate. Seems weird that we blossumed form things like that.

Just like we do. They were biologically capable of speech and the fact that they taught each other complex things and stayed together in stable large groups and formed teams shows that they could speak and understand each other.

Any idea how they made the narrow cuts for the comb teeth?

Looking from here, it seems like a fairly big leap in technology.

Originally posted by Desert Dawg
Any idea how they made the narrow cuts for the comb teeth?

Looking from here, it seems like a fairly big leap in technology.

That's only because you don't work with stone tools.

archaeology.jp...

www.aquincum.hu...

Seriously. They could flake out very tiny knives for carving, and the comb teeth are wide enough for a flake of stone to fit into. Antler and bone isn't that hard to carve (I've done both.)

Stone tools came in all sorts of shapes and sizes:
www.handprint.com...

(scientific text, wait for pictures to load, look at pictures)
www.arts.kuleuven.be...

www.dailykos.com...

www.geocities.com...

I work with stone tools, but in a different manner . . . whet stones, trigger stones, hones etc.

I read all the links you posted.
Enjoyed them.
Many thanks.

I'm not understanding what a lime forest is though.
Guessing that it's a type of tree.
And surely not what some SoCal folks call "Corona Bushes."

The artwork in the carved bones etc. was especially interesting.
I've often thought when viewing drawings and sculptures attributed to ancient man that they were a bit crude and surely they had skilled and talented artists in their group.

I knew that stone tools could be very sharp - as noted in finding blades one molecule thick at the edge of some stone blades.

Discovery I think it was had a good one hour documentary about a group that butchered a buffalo with stone tools.
One guy got careless and cut himself very badly.

My minor experience with ancient stone tools was as a child walking the newly plowed fields in Arkansas when visiting family.
It was common for my cousins to spot arrowheads and a couple of them had quite a collection.
I didn't have the eye for it like they did, but they couldn't bodysurf the SoCal beaches like I could so it came out even in the end.

My pal and I spend a lot of time in the N/W Arizona desert exploring more recent signs of habitation and mining.

Here's a recent find.
Part of the world famous Chloride Murals.
Painted in the hippie era fwiw.

Lots of genuine indian petroglyphs in the area.



[edit on 25-3-2007 by Desert Dawg]

Originally posted by Desert DawgLots of genuine indian petroglyphs in the area.

[edit on 25-3-2007 by Desert Dawg]

Uh.... that weren't any of them, unless you meant someone from India doing them.

Oh. Wait. The Chloride murals. Never heard of 'em before.

Preeeeeeeeetttttyy!!! And pretty cool! Now I want to go do a ROAD TRIP!!
www.roadtripamerica.com...



[edit on 25-3-2007 by Byrd]

are you sure
those Ying Yang symbols look very NA to me
but "i'm no expert"

Originally posted by FudgeStix
Did 'cavemen' cut their hair? I know this sounds like such a silly question, but I was sat in the bath (where else

) pondering the life universe and everything as you do and this random question popped into my head. I'm talking neolithic kind of age... sorry if this seems like a completly pointless question I just really want to know lol

I've done a lot of research into this question, and I just can't seem to come across anything worthwhile to prove or disprove anyone's theory of whether or not cavemen cut their hair.

So, the next best thing I could do was to find a picture of an actual caveman and make a scientific guess as to "Did he or did he not cut his hair?"

Here's what I found.



From what I could tell, the answer would have been no. But, my hypothesis doesn't take into effect the calculations made by Marduk as seen on their previous post.

I hope I was of some assistance.




Info.

[edit on 3/25/2007 by Infoholic]

Here's some more shots.


The one of the single rock is seldom seen, but just off to the left of the murals as you view them.
You'll see other murals on the way in, some of them hard to notice so you have to pay attention.
Looks like they planned to do some more, but ran out of enthusiasm.



This pic with the three gals gives you an idea of scale.


This last pic shows a genuine petroglyph just across the road/creek (usually dry).

There are quite a few petroglyphs in the immediate area, but they're getting hard to see due to age etc.

It's my understanding that no petroglyphs were damaged or covered when the murals were painted.

I may have a couple more petroglyph pics that need resizing etc. before they could go up.
I'll dig em out if you're interested.


Finding Chloride, is easy.
It's to the east just off Highway 93 south of Hoover Dam and north of Kingman, Arizona. (The dam is a worthwhile visit if you've never been there. A project of the 30's and more than impressive today.)
About 25-30 miles from the Kingman side.

An about 4-5 mile trip from Hwy 93 to Chloride.
Try Yesterday's Restaurant for lunch.
Good food and usually close to 200 beers to choose from.
Just the thing after a stroll through the desert.

You'll pass through the small and semi-abandoned ghost town and park at the top end of the road in.
There's a stream at the bottom of a shallow ravine.
Not suitable for passenger cars, but when the water runoff is slow most pickups can make it and if you have a Jeep, no problem.
About a three mile hike in from the parking area.
It's uphill and the grades are not particularly steep.
We see a lot of older folks who've hiked in carrying nothing more than a water bottle.
Go in h morning hours if you visit in summer and plan to walk in.

A 2wd pickup will make it to about a mile short of the murals, but I wouldn't push it since you can get hung up badly in couple of areas.
4wd and Jeeps can go all the way.
There are wide spots - sorta - where you can turn around and park if you go part way in on the Jeep road.

Pay attention where you walk, the area is somewhat snaky.
If you're hiking in, carrying a walking stick is a good idea.
You're not going to end up doing battle with the snakes, but you need to be careful and pay attention as you would in any area where snakes are.

We have regular rattlesnakes as well as the Mojave Green.
He's an aggressive guy and deadier than a regular rattlesnake.
Reason being, a rattlesnake's venom is a hemo-toxin from what I understand and it damages tissue.
The Green's venom is neuro-toxin and attacks your central nervous system very similar to what a Cobra bite does.

I don't want to spook anyone, I just want you to be careful.

Lots of other stuff to see in the immediate area.
Many gold, silver and turquoise mines.
Most very small and one very large gold mine with a 1600' deep shaft.

Step into that hole and you'll never have to worry again....

[edit on 26-3-2007 by Desert Dawg]

Looks like they planned to do some more, but ran out of enthusiasm.

from the look of things what they probably ran out of was acid

So they had combs made of bone. Good one.

If they didn't have iron scissors how they circumcised their sons?
According to so called holy bible, all God's men were circumcised, unless pagan.

Do you?



[edit on 16-4-2007 by CinLung]

native american's shaved using shells? why? native american's genitically don't grow facial hair?

I'm not surprised there was no shaving kit or scissors with the neolithic combs. Sharp stone, speerhead, carved knife.. all work pretty well to cut off excess hair.. I don't think they cared about split ends back then

[edit on 16/4/2007 by David2012]

Originally posted by David2012
native american's shaved using shells? why? native american's genitically don't grow facial hair?

yes they do
but it was traditional that they don't wear them
what you are saying is one of those white man talk with forked tongue things

i.e. its a misconception
all human beings grow facial hair to one degree or another
there is no hairless variety

It depends on the region, but....the hairiest Native Americans have very little facial hair in comparison with the average person of European descent.
Generally, Indians from the Pacific coast of North America and the Southern tip of South America *can* grow full beards.
South American Indians have quite literarlly, hairless bodies.
All others fall somewhere in between, but generally, their facial hair patterns are like that of East Asians. .

uk.answers.yahoo.com...

Originally posted by Marduk
are you sure
those Ying Yang symbols look very NA to me
but "i'm no expert"

It is a proof that Chinese had been there before Columbus.

So there was no Scissors huh? How they cut the it? You know all Jews and Christians were circumcised.

Using bone comb?

Originally posted by CinLung
So they had combs made of bone. Good one.

If they didn't have iron scissors how they circumcised their sons?
According to so called holy bible, all God's men were circumcised, unless pagan.

I think perhaps a bit of googling would have shown you the answer very quickly. The earliest circumcisions weren't Jews, but Egyptians, and with bronze age implements:
en.wikipedia.org...

Here's more on the topic:
www.cirp.org...

Originally posted by David2012
native american's shaved using shells? why? native american's genitically don't grow facial hair?

Popular misconception, I'm afraid. While their beards are not generally as thick as, say, Norweigians, they do grow facial hair. They also burned it off in addition to clam shell shaving. And, of course, if you go to a powwow today you can easily see that they shave.

Some paintings of Native Americans that include individuals with fairly thick moustaches:
www.fortunecity.com...

I'm not surprised there was no shaving kit or scissors with the neolithic combs. Sharp stone, speerhead, carved knife.. all work pretty well to cut off excess hair.. I don't think they cared about split ends back then

Yeah. Vidal Sassoon would have had quite a time convincing them that they needed perms and regular cuts.

Originally posted by Byrd
I think perhaps a bit of googling would have shown you the answer very quickly. The earliest circumcisions weren't Jews, but Egyptians, and with bronze age implements:
en.wikipedia.org...

Here's more on the topic:
www.cirp.org...

Thanks, but why googling and not Yahooing? Is google made of Jews?

Well, the bible said all God's human were and are circumcised, and it was Jews bible. Sadly several billions people are into this Jews modified Christian Catholic bible.

To Jews, Christian Catholic and others, bible are more reliable than Wikipedia.

the jewish tradition of circumcision is relatively recent
its commanded in the bible

Hebrew bible Genesis 17 10 - 14
10 This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.'

and the bible as you Cinlung probably don't know as you havent read it or understood anything about it wasn't compiled until the babylonian exile around the middle of the 6th century bce


and anyway
this has nothing to do with the OP which asked if cavemen cut their hair
you do understand the difference between hair and foreskin don't you Cinlung
if not I feel sorry for your barber


[edit on 16-4-2007 by Marduk]