Why are practices abandoned? “Abandoned” connotes something that has been left behind and whose use is over. But “abandon” has another meaning, that of indulging in some uninhibited action, giving oneself over completely to something, perhaps only to find later that one has lost interest or that the practice is no longer respected or understood. However enamored we may be with an action, at some point, in response to fashion or utility, we move on. To what degree this shift occurs consciously or deliberately is a matter for discussion, one that concerns the dubious term “progress” and the extent to which we are in control of the evolution of our own species—or even want to be.