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Poems and Thoughts by Frank Maurer

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Anthropology

My Neanderthal Kindred opus 464

While reading 'Kindred' by R. Sykes,
I felt very close to my Neanderthal cousins.
She relates the anthropologic reality of our past fellow Homos.
I began to fantasize what I, as an early hominid,
Would feel upon meeting my first Neanderthal people,
As I, much later in time, migrated out of Africa.
These were heavy-boned beings, hirsute, but upright as I.
My relative hirsutelessness and lighter skin, contrasted me
From these other fellow hominins.
Would I have been afraid, alarmed, or felt a curiosity in a similar creature?
Our communication or language would have undoubtedly been 'foreign'.
But our stone abilities and methods would have been similar--
Both of us have learned 'developed' stone knapping over many eons.
Both of us hunted and chewed the skins for softening in a similar manner.
Both of us had art and perhaps felt the same about caves.
Would we have been attracted sexually
To someone who was exotically different?
We know now from the DNA evidence
That there were a few who overlooked the differences
And left the fascinating DNA trail we witness today.
All I know is that 4 percent of my ancestral past
Overcame prejudice and dislike to form a 'romantic?' bond.

Our Gladiator History opus 468

Our early species eventually lived in small groups.
Violence was usually occasional, but real.
Later, male Homo sapiens ritualized warfare in 'theatre'.
Cultures even used heads of the vanquished
As a ball, to play games of sport.
Then came the Romans and the gladiator era.
Often slaves or conquest-ones fought and died for status.
Crowds of fellow humans came to watch their usual demise.
Today, many participate in war games and reenactments.
Also, we delight and enjoy our (generally)
Bloodless but very competitive sports.
And we add to all that the vicarious entertainment
Of films and 'pods' depicting violence of one sort or another.
Why is it, fascinated drivers slow down and gawk at traffic accidents?

I sadly conclude that we are a species which basically and really,
Enjoys even vicarious violence upon each other.

The Aurochs Permeates Everywhere opus 470

Aurochs fossils in Europe date back 650,00 years ago.
Thus, they then adorned the art on many a cave wall.
They were the creature declared by Caesar to be like an elephant--
An exaggeration but demonstrating that this was a dangerous beast.
Only a few were captured and tamed
To become the forerunners of our modern cattle.
As a result of early captive herds mating with wild aurochs bulls,
Four separate preglacial aurochs' ancestries
Are included in today's domestic cattle.
Aurochs of southwestern Asia were domesticated
In the Fertile Crescent north, 10,000 years ago, to 'create' the first cattle--
There appears that three distinct aurochs populations occurred in Europe.
This yielded great diversity in the wild forms of this animal.

Just be aware when snarfing your McDonalds hamburger,
That you are masticating the genetic remnants of an ancient noble beast.

A Ceremony Over an Opossum Skull opus 477

Humans have tended their dead over centuries in many ways:
Some burned, some left for the vultures,
Some buried in several configurations.
Are these customs instinctual, or learned through culture?

Well, I was walking around my pond the day after Thanksgiving
With my son, Pierre, and his son, my grandson, Rowan.
We watched wild turkeys in the sun, with their exploding iridescent colors;
We munched on the desert jojoba seeds, from shrubs transplanted to the farm.
Suddenly we came upon an opossum skull buried in the grass.
Rowan was immediately mesmerized, as we pointed out its morphology.
Quickly Rowan commenced pulling out neighboring grass blades
And tenderly laying these herbs over the skull.
He repeated this ritual several times, until we moved on.
As we were observing things farther from the opossum,
Rowan turned and walked all the way back to the burial site.
He then proceeded to pull more grass, further covering the skull,
Then returned to us to continue our observations.
He repeated this maneuver thrice more in the exact same way.
So sweet to see--a tiny four year old boy,
Crouching over an opossum grave, which he was helping to lay to rest.
It was then that the original question (from above) came to me--
Is this an innate behavior or something that just must be done?
I shudder thinking about the profundity of this query.
My mind drifts back to the time when Homo sapiens
Intermingled with Neanderthals, each species interacting differently
As to what is now known from their early cave habits.
It seems the Neanderthals possibly 'taught' Homo sapiens how to bury their dead.

I revel in the new knowledge we are gleaning
From modern technology and methodology.
But it seems my question still remains in the ether around us.

Did Humans Really Build the Pyramids? opus 485

Were the pyramids actually built by humans?
Many have wondered, contemplating the huge stones.
Djoser, pharaoh of Egypt's Third Dynasty, was buried
In the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, Egypt.
It has been suggested by researchers
That a hydraulic system was used.
There were two shafts inside the center of the pyramid
In which water could flow in and out.
A pulley mechanism was used to raise the now lighter stones,
Allowing huge stones to be lifted up to 200 feet,
On a moving vertical platform!
This pyramid led the way, first using fully dressed stones,
Rising into the first pyramid shaped structure--
A revolutionary type of architecture.
This pyramid was built at the end of a watershed,
Allowing an adequate (to be further researched) amount of water
To be utilized for such a massive venture.
At the end of the moat is the Gisr el-Mudir enclosure for water.
This is combined with the 'Deep Trench' to form a water treatment plant.
At the same time, this entrapped water could also be used
To regulate flow for 'practical uses and vital needs'.
This combined system and pulley mechanism with a platform,
Was capable of greatly lessening the workload of the laborers.
Past evidence has demonstrated that these ancient people
Used hydraulics for building ports and irrigation systems
As well as, of course, more easily delivering heavy materials.

A Saturday Morning Spass opus 491

I collect Neanderthal stone tools of various ilks.
I received, in the mail from France,
A chalcedony stone scraper
Which, with its pie-shaped 'sliver' and color,
Looked almost like the real thing!
Jessie, my helper, arrived to work,
Waiting for our planning chat.
I presented him with the cut 'pie piece'
On a plate accompanied with a fork.
He said, "Thank you', grabbed the fork
And 'cut' into the stone.
Of course, he realized it was a rock
And giggled with joy.
We all need more such experiences
To lighten our often mundane lives.

One More New Year's Eve, Following Thousands opus 494

It is New Year's Eve and I am with the stone tools--
The stone tools I have been collecting--
Those of the ancient Neanderthal.
As I open each wrap, sent from France!,
I look at the stone, ponder its use, and then hold it,
As I visualize the Neanderthal, themselves,
Holding and working with each stone.
Is there any way that one might
Really fantasize a million years ago?
I feel so close to these people through their utensils,
Manifested in a scraper, a blade, a drill,
A cleaver, a handaxe, or a point.
The only thing missing is the cave fire pit
With many of us seated around.

Prayer of a Viking opus 498

Oh, dear Odin, if it is the moment to be passed to you,
Please take me only with my weapon in hand,
And that it shall be swift, with little lingering.
The pain bothers me not, it is only
The wasted time, before I am able to face you
And melt into your compassion
And justice over your jurisdiction.

(Written by a modern, fantasizing Viking.)

Did Neanderthals Have a Feeling of Ownership? opus 499

I have now collected a good number of Neanderthal stone tools,
These from an old collection in France--tools 100,000 years old!
I hold each one, and feel how it might have been to skin a Fallow deer.
Many made of flint or chalcedony
Are more or less attractive in color and shape.
Some seem to have been more efficient in their task.
Some feel more comfortable when held, ready for the task.
From this I wonder if, as we might have behaved,
That there were 'favorite' tools, claimed exclusively for ownership.
'No, that is my tool--do not dare touch it.'
Did Neanderthals have a feeling of personal possession?
We now know they collected objects of 'useless' beauty,
Just for the attractiveness of the shell or stone.
By discerning beauty, did these people feel ownership
Of some of their stone tools?

Human's Success on Planet Earth opus 500

Have humans been so successful because of greater strength or intelligence?
Probably not. However, humans seem to be able to imagine a myriad of possibilities
And inventively combine them in ever-increasing ways.
We continually push boundaries; the driving of cultural evolution.
Other species use tools, modify communication, and innovatively harvest food.
But these changes are fairly static, with no radical transformations.
Humans accumulate knowledge, but also reinvent and expand its delimitations.
Our openness allows quick adaptation with complex sequences,
To solve pending problems as well as future challenges.
Many creatures have an evolutionary ceiling; humans seem to have no limits.
Humans have transformed their environment--other animals merely adapt.
This transformation is bolstered by the cycle of cultural accumulation.
The enigma of human's world domination is understood,
By comprehending our ability to imagine, thus creating a boundless future.

(Was this one of the reasons the Neanderthal didn't make it?)

Did the Cave Artists Get the Hump Correct? (Another Glimpse) opus 519

Coelodonta antiquitatis is the name of the woolly rhinoceros,
Painted in the ancient cave art in France, among others.
They went extinct for several reasons 10,000 years ago.
The big question is, did the Ice Age artists
Take creative liberties by adding a nuchal hump?
Well, an ancient rhino was discovered
In the permafrost in Yakutia, Siberia--
And what do you know--it possessed a hump,
Which seems to have been an adaptation to cold.
It appears that these artists were uncanny
In their depictions of the important creatures around them.
I have viewed these paintings many times and with each gaze,
I have been overwhelmed by their accuracy and absolute beauty.

The Hunter-Gathers opus 520

In former days, our hunter-gatherer ancestors moved
At the 'whim' or general greater movement of the herds.
Sometimes it was feast and other times famine.
So the modern, unthinking person might thus conclude.
There is, still, a quiet factor which repeats history.
That factor is our surrounding virus and bacteria.
Contemplate the rise of heretofore virual outbreaks
And how we mobilize to cope with whatever.
Our 'herds' today are populations of pigs, cows, chickens, and bees.
When they die or must be hygienically slaughtered,
We, as in ancient times, must cope with diminishing food sources.
Unlike our ancestors, there are times when the change
Also affects us directly, needing medical aid.
We must not only mobilize to cope with reduced resources,
But must even protect ourselves from that which ravages our food source.
It seems that things are different, but really much the same.
So is the cycle of life--the 'hunter' and the 'hunted',
Ensuring that the flow of energy will necessarily continue to obtain.

A Mystery Footprint opus 525

Then 'they' came upon a mystery footprint.
The time in history was between
136,000 and 73,000 years ago.
The print of the walker left rounded anterior ends
With crisp margins and indentations,
Where possible strap attachments met the sole.
The dimensions were quite consistent
With those of hominin tracks;
Probably made by juveniles or small adults.
The prints were most likely from sandals--
A life saver from foot lacerations.
However, so far, no actual shoe remnants
Remain from the Middle Paleolithic,
Which a young, future investigator
May finally come up with, and the clinching evidence?

An Unidentified Invader opus 526

In biology an apex invader is defined as
Being especially influential and powerful in shaping the environment.
The effects of its invasion is paramount with its name.
The Global Invasive Database has defined the 100 top invaders,
From a plant like kudzu to a bird like the European Starling,
The Norwegian Rat. All these and many more
Have caused chaos and great expense for concerned societies.
The one invader which has not been recognized
In this long list of destructive transplants
Is Homo sapiens or us--our very own species.
Humans have ravaged the world,
Causing great destruction and extinction of other species.
We are now at a point where we are
Causing havoc, not only to our very own world,
But the mass Sixth Extinction on our planet.
(Remember, the Fifth was that asteroid
And the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.)
We are polluting our surroundings with CO2, methane and plastics.
The enigma is that if one enters 'humans' into the Invasive Database,
Nothing comes up. This is pure egocentrism topped with conceit!

Origins of Spoken Language opus 533

The first spoken languages probably developed
50,000 to 100,000 years ago.
Some hypotheses claim early forms in primal Homo species
May go back as far as 2 million years ago.
Prehistoric languages evolved from
Simple vocalizations to ever-greater complexity.
Modern humans have developed advanced linguistic skills.
This is most likely due to a genetic mutation,
Playing a vital role in the emergence of human speech.
There is a human-specific variant of the NOVA 1 gene,
Absent in Neanderthals and Denisovans,
Leading to spoken language.
All this advance results from a single amino acid change
In the NOVA 1 gene.
As we speak to each other, think now and then,
That this ability may be due to that small amino acid change.

Our Attraction to Flowers opus 536

Why is it that flowers are so important for humans?
The desire to have flowers in our lives
For ceremonies--both secular and religious--, love gifts,
Or simply because one wishes to gift something
To another for no reason at all!
To think this through, what stage in a plant's life
Comes following the beautiful, scentful floral sequence?
Well, korms, bulbs, nuts, fruits are the most usual result.
An hypothesis put forward is very logical--
If the genome of a human programs memory
Where it sees flowers and takes note of their location,
The human will return to that spot later,
When the edible harvest has developed.
This behavioral trait may have been innate for survival,
As much as our 'natural' fear of snakes
May also be beneficial for survival.

Our Human Family Tree opus 544

The human family tree now seems
To be not a single line of ancestors,
But it appears there was a population split
1.5 million years ago and a reuniting 300,000 years ago.
Analyzing modern human DNA shows that one
Of these isolated populations was genetically dominant.
Along the way, humans shared genes
With Denisovans and Neanderthals.
The ancient mixing event 300,000 years ago
Resulted in only about 20 percent of modern human genes
Coming from a minority population.
The larger (80 percent) ancestral population
Contributing to modern humans,
Also appears to have been ancestral
To Denisovans and Neanderthals.
Some of the genes from the ancient minority (20%) population,
Importantly, contributed brain function and neural processing,
Playing a crucial role in human evolution.
Was one of these ancient populations possibly
Homo erectus and as yet an unknown Homo?

Why the Difference in Human and Neanderthal Faces? opus 549

Neanderthals had stout jaws, broad noses, with features jutting forward.
Modern humans have modest and meek faces--flat and delicate.
The human face stops growing during adolescence (neoteny),
While the chimp and Neanderthal faces grow periodically longer,
Thus resulting in elongated, more 'robust' features.
Bone formation and bone resorption sculpt the facial bones
The Neanderthal face demonstrated 'restructuring' for a longer period,
The growth projecting forward, especially around the nose and cheeks.
This facial form may have aided their breathing and chewing.
In humans the early slowing of growth in adolescence,
Also showed less bone resorption, thus less cellular activity.
This gracilization as for humans, becomes more delicate in form,
Yields thinner bones, smaller muscles, and flatter faces.
Some reasons why are hypothesized: cooking and eating softer food;
Brain size, evolving larger, pushed the face down and in;
Or possibly the 'self-domestication' hypothesis,
Stating the selection resulted in more sociable,
Less aggressive appearing individuals.
Compare this to the domestication of dogs
Yielding floppy ears, curved tails, and shorter snouts.
The 'how' we now know, but the 'why' is yet to be discovered!

Wings of Birds--Thoughts of a Modern Homo opus 550

I, as a child, and still today, am fascinated with bird wings.
Is the attraction the aerodynamic shape or color patterns,
Or just the mere fact that their proximity partially fulfills the desire to fly?
We Homo sapiens are not the only hominin so attracted.
In Neanderthal butchery sites, it appears bird's wings were treated specially,
With many avian bones bearing ornamental markings.
How wonderful it would be, going back in time,
To actually sit beside a Neanderthal carver,
Witnessing his or her methods,
While (possibly) conversing about the artistic significance.

The Creation of Dogs--Just Child's Play opus 551

I am a child, sitting near a middens pile, perhaps 30,000 years ago.
This young and seemingly fearless wolf pup comes near, as usual,
To hunt out and sort remaining bits of tasty, discarded morsels.
Such easy scavenging for food--and the ever-present Human youngster
Appears to be sitting quietly, patiently observing--meaning no harm.
The child, daily, sits closer, and at last holds out a tasty bone with some flesh.
Soon, that child is gently stroking the pup as it masticates,
And before one knows, the pup is carefully cuddled in the child's arms.
So might have been the beginning of the profound dog-human co-evolution,
Which today is practiced, but few of us are familiar with its wonderful story.

Dealing With Death opus 557

Death is a life phenomenon which all creatures face cognizantly or not.
Of course there are those that recognize this new state.
It is well known that elephants clearly react to death
By touching with their collective trunks, reaching out.
Even later encounters with the decomposed body
Elicit fondling the now cleaned bones.
Mother porpoises are known to 'carry' their deceased offspring
For many days or weeks; one female did so for up to 100 days.
Mother chimps and bonobos hold dead infants for days.
These two groups are known to touch, attempt play,
And gaze deeply into the eyes of a passed companion.
Humans deal culturally differently, but profoundly with their dead.
The Irish have wakes and Hispanics often gather in a parlour.
There is some good archeological evidence that Neanderthals
Had some sort of recognition of death.
From so long ago, it is often difficult to discern actual fact,
But revealed hyena and raven tarsals near an infant's disinterned body,
Or an isolated lithic near an adult's corpse,
Finding no other similar lithic at all nearby,
Indicate that there must have been some thought applied.
We will never know whether there was singing, or other vocalizations,
Or if possibly, even tears were shed for a downed comrad.
But judging from chimp and bonobo behavior around their dead,
And, of course, knowing our own feelings and behavior,
It is quite certain our kindred Neanderthal went through
Much the same agony and heartache.
Nearing that life stage, I myself, as many,
Premeditate my own demise with wonder and trepidation.

EPILOGUE {It is clear that as with most hominin groups,
Cannibalism is a practice sometimes evidenced among them.
Among Neanderthal butchered bones, tool cut marks are evidenced
On both remains of animals, as well as on their own kind.
There is much contemplation as to reasons for this.
Dealing with their trauma might have included the depositing of bodies,
Taking them apart and reconstituting the raw components
Back to life with consumption, bones used as tools, or by marking them.
Cut marks on the face and skull may indicate the recognition of another.
Was the common practice of taking apart hunted carcasses,
Transposed into a grieving process involving familiar butchery,
Including cannibalism, as acts of intimacy and not violation?
Catholics in Western society have special relics for viewing,
And even more, in Eucharist, bread and wine are
Consumed as the body of Jesus, inside the mouths of the faithful!
They say this is not about death, but life.
Perhaps this was also true for Neanderthals.}

Marrow opus 558

As a child, I often chewed on a chicken bone to remove the marrow.
I was not aware at the time, but I was following
The masticating practices of the Neanderthals
(And those of my own early species).
There is ample evidence that the many smashed bones
Of both animal and, in certain localities, of Neanderthal,
Were a desired part of the consumption of the bodies.
Marrow has a distinct texture and taste
And was, then, specially desired nutritionally
And perhaps sometimes ritualistically.
Learning this now, gives me a closer feeling for and understanding
Of my very unique hominin ancestry
And, unknowingly, as a child I uninstructedly and instinctively,
Mimicked my very ancient forebears in one of their regular practices.

Sounds for a Birder opus 562

The Neanderthal are gone by 40,000 years,
But there is still a link between us Moderns and the extinct ones--
The vocalizations of most of the birds we live with today.
As a population, the Neanderthal would have been far more aware
Of the varied, juxtaposed calls of their avian neighbors
Than Modern Homo would be in our present time.
These creatures were their alarm clock at sunrise,
Their lullaby in the Demerung (Twilight) as they attempted to sleep,
And their warning, denoting some occurrence
Of which they should be aware.
Birds were their constant companions, as well as their nourishment.
An intimate relationship with another creature for sure!

On Ornaments and Clothing, with Easter in Mind opus 568

Humans (Homo sapiens) are a naked ape with a flattened face.
This is the result of neoteny, an adult form, maintaining juvenile characters.
Humans have no natural pigments as with Mandrills.
We know that Neanderthals utilized some forms of decoration,
But humans have gone all out for bodily adornment--
Painted faces, use of feathers, jewelry, and regal robes.
It is Easter today, and outstanding clothing, including garish hats,
Are in great prominence during this one day of holiday time.
As one commentator stated, "To catch the eye of god" (and man and woman).
Human bodily decoration, be it jewels or cloth, are always prominent.
The garment industry makes millions and causes great waste,
As our decorations go out of fashion. Many garments just go to the dump.
One example is the killing of egrets for their plumes--
Almost to the complete decimation of that species.
(That is one reason why the Audubon Society was created, by women,
In order to raise awareness and create laws to save birds.)
We, as a 'decorating species', must now consider:
Fewer changes of clothing, purchasing good used garments,
Not always following mindless trends, and recycling clothing responsibility.
Read Thoreau's 'On Walden' focusing on 'On Clothing'.
I say no more.

To See or To Hear; And Then There is Walking opus 579

Many millennia ago humans evolved to be upright,
Changing the whole orientation of the body;
Thus creating a new dimension and meaning of the verb 'to walk'.
My whole life has been one of walking--
Moving quickly from room to room, or from farm field to field.
My childhood continually involved exploring places by foot.
All my field work for the doctorate included miles of walking,
Checking and attending trap lines,
While studying Microtus pennsylvanicus (voles!).

As a youngster, I pondered many hypotheticals--
Losing my eyesight vs my hearing often came across my mind.
I even considered at one point, learning Braille and working with the blind.
Now that I am almost 84, something else has come to the fore;
Namely, my ability to walk, as I always have--quickly and efficiently.
After a hip replacement, 'installed' slightly 'inwardly',
And the aging factor of just plain slowly wearing out,
I now walk with some difficulty, always observing for possible obstacles.
Falling is now foremost in my thoughts--
Continually attempting to avoid any cryptic catastrophe;
There is also some minor pain, adding to the mix.
So, so much for pondering on 'whether sight or whether sound'.
Life plays tricks on one and, that which seemed paramount,
Turns onto another unconsidered malady!

Our Coevolution with the Cat opus 703

Those in the Fertile Crescent perfected agriculture--
Organizing fields with seed saved from the previous year.
Random wandering to discover those tiny seed-gems
Became obsolete as a manner of food gathering.
Success of harvesting increased to a point
Where huge numbers of grain were amassed.
Methods of storage for the pending year challenged populations-- 
Those tiny rodents soon discovered that 'grain mine',
Slowly gnawing away at the food supply of the human suppliers.
Also arriving on the scene were wild cats,
Relishing the concentrated supply of those tiny mammals.
The humans realized the value of cat-presence,
Naturally combating and aiding in the control of those little munchers.
Soon, especially in Egypt, cats rose to the level of the sacred.
They were mummified and slipped into the sarcophagi of their owners.
Now, cats roam in many places uncontrolled,
Just like Rock Doves, which switched from cliffs to tall buildings. 
These days, human activities somewhat affect 
Most all other creatures' ways of life,
Except for bacteria, and more, viruses, which still hold power over us.
We cannot yet mold them genetically into the form we wish,
Except for ever-continued research, which medically wards them off!