12-05-2017, 02:51 PM
I would not use the word "pretending" as that implies we know something is false, yet claim it is true.
Todd is making a hypothesis, "a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation."
I think if we have a significant number of consistent depictions, a knowledge of the availability of the raw materials needed to make an item, some awareness of how similar items were made that may not have the same usage, but could be manufactured using the same process and some knowledge of the societal norms prevalent in the time period in question...we can make good educated guesses on a wide variety of things from antiquity we lack solid information on if we want to replicate them.
As new information becomes available we can modify our understanding of course.
Todd is making a hypothesis, "a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation."
I think if we have a significant number of consistent depictions, a knowledge of the availability of the raw materials needed to make an item, some awareness of how similar items were made that may not have the same usage, but could be manufactured using the same process and some knowledge of the societal norms prevalent in the time period in question...we can make good educated guesses on a wide variety of things from antiquity we lack solid information on if we want to replicate them.
As new information becomes available we can modify our understanding of course.
Joe Balmos
