Tentzel and the elephant in the room. Inconsistencies in the history of nature and history of humans (not) being discussed when 'fossils' were found in Thuringia in 1695.

IF 0.9 3区 哲学 Q2 HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Susanne Friedrich
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

In 1695 the fossils of a woodland elephant were excavated in Burgtonna (Thuringia). This article deals with the debate between Gotha's court historiographer Wilhelm Ernst Tentzel (1659-1707), who interpreted the discovery as the remains of an elephant, and the collegium medicum of Gotha, that insisted that it was a lusus naturae. The debate, in which scholars throughout Europe soon became involved, is paradigmatic for the social, professional, epistemological and religious frames that determined what around 1700 one could say and think about the history of the earth and the role humans played in it. While Tentzel, as a specialist in human history, proved that the findings of fossilized exotic animals could not be explained by human intervention and argued for the Deluge as an agent of transport, for some of his correspondents inconsistencies between human history and the history of Nature emerged at this point, and time itself became an issue. The study emphasizes the importance of regional historiography for the understanding of nature as well as the transformation of history of Nature into natural history.

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来源期刊
Annals of Science
Annals of Science 综合性期刊-科学史与科学哲学
CiteScore
0.80
自引率
0.00%
发文量
22
审稿时长
1 months
期刊介绍: Annals of Science , launched in 1936, publishes work on the history of science, technology and medicine, covering developments from classical antiquity to the late 20th century. The Journal has a global reach, both in terms of the work that it publishes, and also in terms of its readership. The editors particularly welcome submissions from authors in Asia, Africa and South America. Each issue contains research articles, and a comprehensive book reviews section, including essay reviews on a group of books on a broader level. Articles are published in both English and French, and the Journal welcomes proposals for special issues on relevant topics. The Editors and Publisher are committed to supporting early career researchers, and award an annual prize to the best submission from current doctoral students, or those awarded a doctorate in the past four years.
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