SC - Anthropology book on cannibalism

[david friedman]

>I've found the book that examines cannibalism in anthropology. It 
>was NOT the title in my earlier message. It is:
>
>The Man-Eating Myth: Anthropology & Anthropophagy
>W. Arens
>Oxford Paperbacks, Oxford University Press
>1979
>ISBN 0 19-502793-0

I have read and enjoyed it. I think the author convincingly argues 
that the idea that lots of primitive societies routinely engaged in 
non-emergency cannibalism is evidence, not of the behavior of 
primitives but of the credulity of anthropologists. On the other 
hand, there was one fairly extensive body of testimony on cannibalism 
(on Fiji, I think) which he didn't really rebut. And I gather there 
has been one first hand report subsequent to his book of ceremonial 
cannibalism somewhere, as well as evidence (whether now conclusive 
I'm not sure) of a disease spread via cannibalism in Papua New Guinea.
- -- 
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/