Re:Scientists have traced folk stories back to the Bronze Age
by mc32 on Wednesday January 20, 2016 @04:42PM
(#10941598)
Being able to trace oral tradition back in time and discerning origin and carrier is eye opening... The aspect of peeking into the past is alluring... However, what's the confidence level here? What are the basic assumptions?
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Re:Scientists have traced folk stories back to the Bronze Age
by pc2g4d on Wednesday January 20, 2016 @05:47PM
(#10941977)
Exactly what I was wondering. These sorts of studies usually make assumptions about the rate of mutation across time in order to estimate the date of various divergences or of the ur-form, but these rates are difficult to calibrate. For a cautionary tale, see also glottochronology.