Trivia Junction

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Snakes on the mind of men

Until now (2006), it has been largely presumed that the earliest human rituals took place about 40,000 years ago in Europe.

Wrong time, wrong place.

A Norwegian archaeologist says new discoveries indicate that the San people, who lived in what is now northwestern Botswana in Africa, were performing advanced rituals more than 70,000 years ago.

And the object of their ceremonies?

Snakes.

According to Sheila Coulson of the University of Oslo, the python is perhaps the San's most important animal (and continues to be among San descendants). The snake, according to San creation myth, begat man, the dry streambeds in the region evidence of the python circling the hills in search of water.

Coulson bases her conclusions upon recent findings in a newly discovered cave. Inside, a large, long rock resembling a snake head had been modified with hundreds of indentations. “You could see the mouth and eyes of the snake,” said Coulson. “It looked like a real python.”

Analysis of stones used to make the indentations and numerous nearby artifacts dated the work to more than 70,000 years old.

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