Deaf Anthology: Deaf Anthology #41: "The Archaeologists"

OLD GREENFIELD, CONNECTICUT

DEF: "Greek Archaeologists have unearthed the skull

of two young Deaf boys in the Thessaloniki, Macedonia region who is believed to have undergone a CI surgery in the third century, according to an Athens newspaper article, We think that there was a complex surgical intervention that only an experienced doctor could have performed, according to this morning Athens newspaper."

John: "Joan, the news..."

Joan: "Wasn't Thessaloniki the city that lost the expo bid to Zaragoza?"

John: "Sevilla already host one previously."

Jason: "Isn't Macedonia also a nation, a former Yugoslavia republic."

John: "Yes, Greece objected to it at the UN."

DEF: "Medical treatment on the human body was a tradition that began with Hippocrates, a fourth century B.C. Greek physician, known as the founder of medicine. He held the belief that illness had a physical and a rational explanation.

Jason: "I saw his oath in the doctor's office."

Joan: "Originally the oath requires ones' belief in their gods, opposes abortion, and euthanasia (legal in Oregon, and the Netherlands), some which are controversial nowadays as the field of medicine are specialized. Doctors in ancient times does not do surgery, that is left to the barbers (surgeons), note the barber sign, red symbolized bandages that are blood-stained and white that are clean which was hung on the pole..."

Jason and Jeffrey: "Mom, enough is enough, we're still kids, so don't expect us to be doctors when we are grown-ups."

Joan: "No, not at all, just follow whatever your dreams are."

John: "I expect you both be major league players." (smile)

Jason: "It's doubtful, especially when your own father coach our Little League championship team into last place after taking over."

Jeffrey: "Better than having a father being an umpire who doesn't know the differences between balls and strikes."

Joan: "Taking them to Shea Stadium to see the Mets is one thing, but coaching them is not."
DEF: "...also discovered at the site was remains of a domestic dog, with an orange collar attached, this is the strongest evidence yet that a hearing dog was used by the Deaf in ancient times, long before Seeing Eyes dogs became commonplace."

Jeffrey: "Lightnings are their only natural signaling devices."

Jason: "Hearing dogs offers protection, alerting them to the presence of mammoths so they can either hunt or avoid stampedes."

DEF: "An autopsy was performed and it was noticed that sea shells were used as a CI device, a crude lobotomy, without anesthesia , I imagine a painful procedure."

Jeffrey: "Sea Shells, you mean the only sounds that they can hear if of the ocean."

Jason: "Our pastor told us that lobotomy was common practices to rid of evil spirits.'

Joan: "Some parents still think their child was born Deaf because of their sins, a form of punishment from God."

DEF: "The Greek archaeologists have received a bunk of financial support from the National Geographic Society which plans to air a documentary later this month."

John: "In the coliseum, persecution of Christians in the den of lions are a form of mass entertainment, enemies captured are at the mercy of the gladiators, this was the beginning of the Lions Club which raised funds at these events to provide services to the Greek Deaf community.

Greek Archaeologist: "A few years ago, we discovered another skull with a CI device, a Deaf man of status, maybe of royal blood, because several skeletons believed to be of his interpreters were buried in the tomb to accompany him in the next life."
John: "I think Anthropologist Margaret Mead mentioned that sign language was universal, I disagreed, but I admit that it may be the case before Babel."

Joan: "Can you imagine archaeologists in some distance future, uncovered some CI skulls, and wondering why we are barbarians to do such a thing."

John: "The Acropolis is the site of the earliest known Deaf Club, our major contribution to the modern Olympics were the..."
Jason: "Historic or myths!"

John: "I better get busy on my script, Switched at Birth."

Jeffrey: "Jason, let's finish our time-machine."
Revised (3/15/08)