XPost: sci.archaeology, soc.culture.Irish, soc.culture.Australian   
   From: eric.stevens@sum.co.nz   
      
   On 2 Jan 2007 19:10:55 -0800, Reagh@cogeco.ca wrote:   
      
   >   
   >Tom McDonald wrote:   
   >> Reagh@cogeco.ca wrote:   
   >> > prd wrote:   
   >> > > In sci.archaeology message  news:1162673893.944901.6380   
   >> > > @k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com by "MikeMc"   . . . :   
   >> > >   
   >> > > Here is what oppenheimer says and the HLA studies agree with.   
   >> > >   
   >> > > "   
   >> > > The genetic evidence shows that three quarters of our ancestors came to   
   >> > > this corner of Europe as hunter-gatherers, between 15,000 and 7,500   
   years   
   >> > > ago, after the melting of the ice caps but before the land broke away   
   from   
   >> > > the mainland and divided into islands. Our subsequent separation from   
   >> > > Europe has preserved a genetic time capsule of southwestern Europe   
   during   
   >> > > the ice age, which we share most closely with the former ice-age refuge   
   in   
   >> > > the Basque country. The first settlers were unlikely to have spoken a   
   >> >   
   >> >   
   >> > When Steven Oppenheimer said the Celts of present day Britain spoke a   
   >> > form of Basque language, he meant that they spoke a form of Basque   
   >> > language when Britain was attached to mainland Europe after the melting   
   >> > of the ice caps but before the land broke away from the mainland and   
   >> > divided into Islands.   
   >>   
   >> Who knows? But by what mechanism, exactly, does Oppenheimer suggest the   
   >> various islands 'broke away from the mainland?' And how did they become   
   >> 'divided into Islands'?   
   >>   
   >> And is this the general level of his academic ability?   
   >>   
   >>    
   >   
   >When Steven Oppenheimer said the Celts of present day Britain spoke a   
   >form of Basque language, he meant that they spoke a form of Basque   
   >language when Britain was attached to mainland Europe after the melting   
   >of the ice caps from the North Pole and before the land broke away from   
   >the mainland and divided into Islands which occured during a   
   >mini-iceage.The neolithic people of Spain introduced a gaelic or   
   >Celtic language when Britain and Ireland were seperated from one   
   >another. The Gaelic or Celtic language includes Galicia which is a   
   >Celtic nation as it includes names derived from place names. Get your   
   >facts straight!   
      
   I have a problem here and it doesn't have anything to do with the   
   language. The history of the world you describe seems to be different   
   from what I understood was the case and  I would be grateful if you   
   could help me sort out my confusion.   
      
   You say   
      
     "Britain was attached to mainland Europe after the melting   
      of the ice caps from the North Pole and before the land broke away   
      from the mainland and divided into Islands which occurred during a   
      mini-iceage."   
      
   1.  Does 'the melting of the ice caps' refer to the end of the last   
        ice age some 15,000 years ago? If not, to what 'melting of the   
        ice caps do you refer and approximately when did it occur?   
      
   2.  When you wrote 'before the land broke away from the mainland',   
        were you referring to Britain physically breaking away from   
        Europe? If not, to what is it you actually refer? Specifically,   
        what is the 'mainland' and were you referring to Britain breaking   
        away from it?   
      
   3.  When you wrote 'divided into islands' were you referring to a   
        proto-Britain being physically divided into the present Britain   
        plus Ireland plus all the bits and pieces which are there today?   
   If not, to what did you refer when you wrote 'divided into   
        islands'?   
      
   4.  When exactly was the 'mini-ice' age to which you refer?   
      
   You went on to write:   
      
     "Then the North Pole ice caps gave way to CO2 emmissions and   
       the mini-iceage ended where Britain and Ireland was seperated from   
       Mainland Europe."   
      
   5.  I presume the CO2 emissions you have in mind are over and above   
        those of the natural carbon cycle. When did these occur and what   
        do think was their cause?   
   >   
   >Given the distribution of Celtic languages in southwest Europe, it is   
   >most likely that they were spread by a wave of agriculturalists who   
   >dispersed 7,000 years ago from Anatolia, travelling along the north   
   >coast of the Mediterranean to Italy, France, Spain and then up the   
   >Atlantic coast to the British Isles.   
   >   
   >http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7817   
      
      
      
   Eric Stevens   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)