Friday, September 4, 2009

AP Redefines "Ancient"

I was pretty excited when I saw this AP headline: "Ancient Skeleton Found in Cambridge." Was it a Native American burial site? A lost 17th-century burying ground? Proof that Vikings sailed up the Charles?

Sadly, none of those things. According to the AP, the "ancient" skeleton is "about 100 years old."

Boo. I'm not sure I'd refer to anything that dates from the late 19th/early 20th century as "ancient," unless, perhaps, it was something with a very short shelf life. I suppose if I found a 100-year-old muffin, I might call it "ancient."

Disappointing.

1 comment:

David B. Appleton said...

I have heard it said that the difference between Europeans and Americans is that Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way, and Americans think that a hundred years is a long time.