🚀 go-pugleaf

Steve Barnard wrote,
: It seems that Arens' book isn't quite the Bible of anthropology 
[... quoting himself? ...]
: According to marvin harris, in _good to eat_, arens is pretty silly

This has got to be a joke, right? Use Harris as a source to 
debunk Arens? Harris? "Pigs, Wars, and Witches" Harris?

Anthropology is still a few steps removed from science, as
long as guys like Harris hold sway without serious challenge.
Harris does not have the ammunition to shoot down Arens's
substantive claims, to wit, that there is no voracious evidence
of Aztec cannibalism. 

There are several examples of human ritualized cannibalism. This
is distinct from "get out the good china, we're having Harry
for dinner" cannibalism. Typically, a slain enemy or an honored
dead relative will "donate" their essence to posterity by having
a bit of the heart or brain (hence kuru) eaten. 

Harris takes the existence of ritual cannibalism and turns it 
into a nutritional supplement. Harris is off his rocker.

Note that for the purposes of AFU a distinction is being made
between four forms of cannibalism:

1) Raving lunacy (eg Dahmer)
2) Extreme conditions (Donner party)
3) Ritual behavior (you are what you eat)
4) Diet (light meat or dark?)

1 through 3 are documented. 4 is not. 
--
 Helge "Eat your heart out!" Moulding
 hsm@slc.unisys.com                         Just another guy
 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1401/      with a weird name