The Ancient History of Humanity

Until now, I have been dumping everything I find about human pre-history into the post originally started to discuss "The Artificial Ape."  Because I have begun the final review and critique of the book itself, I don't want to confuse readers by inserting other articles I find on the topic anymore.  So, I started this post!
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35,000-year old axe head places Aboriginal ancestors at the cutting edge of technology  (The Age, by Bridie Smith, 11/6/2010)

The first entrant is actually highly relevant to "The Artificial Ape."  It is about an axe-head from Australia that has been carbon-dated at 35,000 years old, 5,000 years older than any previously discovered artifact of it's kind.  Like archaeologist Adam Brumm, I find it ironic that the oldest, and arguably most advanced ancient technology is being discovered in the exact place 18th and 19th century Europeans equated with the most uncivilized, backward place on earth.  "By comparison, the earliest ground-edge axes from Europe, West Asia and Africa are about 8,500 years old."  It is also significant, as the article implies, that the axe head was constructed out of basalt, a volcanic rock found a minimum of 40 km from the axe head's final resting place, in a sandstone cave.   Either trade, as Smith postulates, or long distance travel to acquire various resources, which I think is equally likely, must have been involved in the axe head's creation 35,000 years ago.  What an exciting discovery!
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11/14
The Wet Dog Shake:  Physics Revealed  (Discovery News, by Jennifer Viegas, 11/12/2010)

As I read the above linked article, I found it mildly interesting.  But, as a math hater, and physics flunky, I also only 'mildly' understood what it was trying to convey.  Thankfully, I always skim the comments section for treasures.  And today I found one.  Below I quote Mr. Max Ray's intriguing question:

"How did our hairier ancestors shake off? How do gorillas, chimps, and other apes shake? When I try to do it, I stay wet and get a headache. Are a big brain, free hands, and upright postures trade-offs for being able to easily dry off?"

I tried several Google searches to no avail, so decided to post what was going to be a Sound Off topic here in the hopes of finding an acceptable answer someday.  Thanks again, Mr. Max Ray, whoever you are!
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11/18

I found this line from a Discovery News article by Ray Villard very interesting:

" It seems that when all hell is breaking loose on a Earth major evolutionary changes happen rapidly."  This fits well into the now commonly held belief that we overcame Neanderthals near the end of the last ice age.
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11/20
World's oldest Copper Age settlement found  (Hindustan Times, by 11/15/2010)

Archaeologist's in Serbia have found the oldest evidence of metallurgy known, pushing the date for copper usage back at least eight centuries. 

"[A]xes, hammers, hooks and needles - were found interspersed with other artefacts from a settlement that burned down some 7,000 years ago at Plocnik, near Prokuplje and 200 km south of Belgrade."

The ancient village burned to the ground for unknown reasons, but the archaeologist's found no signs of attack.  They think the site may have been a mining and smelting center, focused on the production of copper tools.  If this is the case, perhaps fire spread from the forge. 

According to the head archaeologist on site, Julka Kuzmanovic-Cvetkovict, the inhabitants of this ancient town were not "wild."   "'They had finely combed hair and adorned themselves with necklaces.'"

The team responsible for the discovery realize that the time their site spends at the top of the list may be short lived.  Excavations in Turkey, near eastern Anatolia, may soon surpass Plocnik for the title.
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