The Doggerland Skull by Huinare

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Fanwork Notes

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Two academics discuss a recently-excavated prehistoric skeleton.

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Written for B2MeM 2015, in response to a prompt by Samtyr about a contemporary archaeological discovery proving the past existence of Elves + Elves still living covertly in Middle-earth.

Major Characters: Original Character(s)

Major Relationships:

Genre: Experimental, General

Challenges:

Rating: General

Warnings:

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 868
Posted on 9 April 2015 Updated on 9 April 2015

This fanwork is complete.

The Doggerland Skull

Read The Doggerland Skull

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 05:28:04
From: lagank@hinteru.edu
Subject: Doggerland Skull
To: maclaa@hinteru.edu

Actually, I tried the tea and I still couldn’t sleep. Instead I continued to pore over the data, drew up some new diagrams for the layperson, and also tripped over the cat [he’s still mad at me] and am the more convinced of my rightness.

I think I should hand my diagrams out at the next faculty meeting!

Y/N?

Kassandra Laganà, PhD
Professor of Osteology and Archaeology
Department of Anthropology
Hinterlands State University

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 10:19:32
From: maclaa@hinteru.edu
Subject: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: lagank@hinteru.edu

I’d reconsider that after sleeping on it (I trust you are currently sleeping now, and not lurking about in some café on your third mocha with a manic grin on your face).

Your data is intriguing, but you have very little support.

Sent from my iPhone

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 10:46:53
From: lagank@hinteru.edu
Subject: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: maclaa@hinteru.edu

It’s only my second mocha. Give me some credit Mac.

Maybe you’re right. But you didn’t see this thing! the conclusions are very obvious, at least to an osteologist. All right so maybe what I need to do is present the data (that’s data ARE intriguing btw) at the conference, plenty of exposure so someone is bound to see the light.

Kassandra Laganà, PhD
Professor of Osteology and Archaeology
Department of Anthropology
Hinterlands State University

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 11:04:08
From: maclaa@hinteru.edu
Subject: RE: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: lagank@hinteru.edu

Peer review. I thought you physical anthropologists were all about cruel scathing soul-rending peer review before presenting stuff.

Sent from my iPhone

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 11:08:22
From: lagank@hinteru.edu
Subject: Re: RE: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: maclaa@hinteru.edu

Yes and let’s just say it won’t pass muster because my staid and honorable peers mistake my assertions for some kind of whimsical supernaturalistic mumbo-jumbo. One anonymous reviewer said and I quote: “Laganà has been reading too many fantasy novels.”

I should just leaflet at the conference tomorrow!

Kassandra Laganà, PhD
Professor of Osteology and Archaeology
Department of Anthropology
Hinterlands State University

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 11:12:00
From: maclaa@hinteru.edu
Subject: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: lagank@hinteru.edu

NO.

Sent from my iPhone

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 11:12:47
From: lagank@hinteru.edu
Subject: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: maclaa@hinteru.edu

Why not

Kassandra Laganà, PhD
Professor of Osteology and Archaeology
Department of Anthropology
Hinterlands State University

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 11:17:31
From: maclaa@hinteru.edu
Subject: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: lagank@hinteru.edu

Because that will make you look precisely like the sort of crackpot you don’t wish to be construed as? Then perhaps the Museum won’t let you back to see the bones again?

For pity’s sake do get some sleep before making any decisions on this.

Sent from my iPhone

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 11:29:06
From: lagank@hinteru.edu
Subject: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: maclaa@hinteru.edu

You know, you’re probably right. Not sure why you took such a keen interest in this research if you’re so eager to shut me down, but I guess someone has to do it.

Kassandra Laganà, PhD
Professor of Osteology and Archaeology
Department of Anthropology
Hinterlands State University

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 12:37:26
From: maclaa@hinteru.edu
Subject: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: lagank@hinteru.edu

I want to “shut you down” precisely because it’s interesting. Don’t try and do anything with it until it can be credible to others.

Sent from my iPhone

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 13:09:48
From: lagank@hinteru.edu
Subject: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: maclaa@hinteru.edu
Attachment: DOGGERLAND SKULL SUTURE CLOSURE FOR DUMMIES.PNG

Thanks, Mac, I probably wouldn’t have lasted this long if my colleagues didn’t sometimes reel me back in.

But just have a look at the simplified thing I made last night. The ramifications! I’m not rabid about this for nothing!

Kassandra Laganà, PhD
Professor of Osteology and Archaeology
Department of Anthropology
Hinterlands State University

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 19:44:13
From: maclaa@hinteru.edu
Subject: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: lagank@hinteru.edu

That’s really fascinating, Kass!

As you know, my understanding of the subject matter is pretty limited so it’s difficult for me to offer comments. However…and I’m not saying there could not have existed a long-lived species such as this! In fact, you make a compelling argument for it…however, if I understand the suture closure thing correctly, I would doubt that any of these proposed long-lived human beings would still be alive today. I mean, would the bone keep growing after the sutures were fully closed? Wouldn’t their skulls get too thick and heavy or possibly the bone would intrude on their brain? Maybe there is a reason this proposed being is evidently extinct.

In any case, I am as ever impressed by your extensive knowledge and innovative hypotheses. Please keep me updated.

Aiken Maclaren, PhD
Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology
Department of Anthropology
Hinterlands State University

_____________________________________________________________

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2015 04:43:27
From: lagank@hinteru.edu
Subject: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Doggerland Skull
To: maclaa@hinteru.edu

Thanks for having a look. An animal whose skull kept ossifying to the point of endangering its brain would be selected against obviously. So yes, either it would have died out, OR: ossification does not continue after complete suture closure. I don’t see why it would [continue]! That’s not the way it works in healthy individuals of any species that I know of.

Would you believe I slept 12 hrs? Off to class soon, I’m showing Intro that video today that at least one person inevitably gets righteously offended by. Have fun at the orchestra flash mob thingy.

Kassandra Laganà, PhD
Professor of Osteology and Archaeology
Department of Anthropology
Hinterlands State University


Chapter End Notes

I'm not tagging the canon character, because the hints are half the fun (although readers are welcome to discuss character by name in comments).


Comments

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How come this has no reviews yet? A lot of effort must have gone into this, and I appreciate the realism. Wouldn't it be nice of something like that actually happened, despite JRRT's notes on the decomposition and fading of Elven bodies! Although maybe there's a way around this, such as immediate conservation and petrification. Hmm... Anyway, good job! Faving.

As to the character identity, I actually don't have a clue. :D

Thanks for stopping by, Nolemë. Glad you liked the story. Perhaps Annatar and Celebrimbor know something to the contrary about Elven bodies.

To answer a possibly rhetorical question, this recieved a fairly flattering number of comments on the B2MeM Livejournal community, whose readership overlaps a lot with that of SWG.