Show Cannibalism Just Travelers Traveler's Myth Declares Scientist dentist By EMILY C. C DAVIS Cannibalism is a pure travelers traveler's travelers traveler's travelers traveler's trav trav- elers eler's myth This statement which will surprise many people comes from Prof M. M F. F Mon Ashley anthropologist of NewYork New v NewYork York university Professor Ashley Montagu has grown weary of what he considers unfair tactics in accusing certain inhabitants of the earth of cannibal cannibal- ism It is particularly unfair he feels to call prehistoric men this hard name because they cannot possibly possibly possibly pos pos- sibly arise to sue for libel What happens as he points out in ina a report to the journal Science is this When charred human bones are found at some campfire that burned out thousands of years ago in the theOld theOld theOld Old Stone age it is generally assumed assumed assumed as as- that cannibals feasted there And if the human bones are cracked indicating that a human being e extracted marrow why that settles all doubt These folk were cannibals which suggests to most minds that they had the low habit of gobbling up other humans as unconcernedly unconcernedly unconcernedly un un- un- un concernedly as they would eat elephant elephant elephant ele ele- steak No Missionary Stew But Professor Ashley Montagu does not find such evidence convincing convincing convincing ing and he declares that it would not stand up in any Primate court He points out that in modern times starving primitives and even civilized men men have have been known to kill and eat their young But no one would call these people people people peo peo- cannibals He also points out that many primitive tribes do occasionally occasionally occasionally oc oc- oc- oc consume certain parts of the human body for ritual purposes But he adds emphatically no people of whom we have any knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge makes any habit of cannibal cannibal- ism The argument sums up to this Men even civilized men have been known to eat cat their fellows unde unde- But Professor Mon Ashley would have us relegate to talc fairy realm those ghoulish pictures pictures pictures pic pic- tures of savages gleefully dancing around a pot of missionary stew for an ordinary Thursday night meaL |