Aliens & archaeology: why do we get history wrong on purpose? | Sarah Kurnick | TEDxMileHigh

TEDx Talks

3 Nov 202012:21

Summary

TLDRThis script addresses the allure and dangers of pseudo-archaeology, which makes unproven claims about history, often involving aliens or lost civilizations. It criticizes the racism and xenophobia inherent in these narratives, which undermine the achievements of non-European cultures. The speaker, an archaeologist, shares personal anecdotes to highlight the impact of such myths on indigenous people and calls for a more inclusive and accessible approach to archaeology to counteract harmful misconceptions and promote a true appreciation of human diversity.

Takeaways

🚀 The speaker is an archaeologist who studies the ancient Maya and often encounters pseudo-archaeology claims in casual conversations.
👽 Pseudo-archaeology involves making unproven claims about the human past, such as aliens building the pyramids or Atlantis survivors inventing hieroglyphic writing.
📺 These unfounded claims are widespread in media, including TV shows like 'Ancient Aliens', movies, and books like 'Chariots of the Gods'.
🌐 The speaker argues that pseudo-archaeology is not just harmless entertainment; it is often racist and xenophobic, influencing culture negatively.
🏛 Pseudo-archaeologists tend to credit non-European civilizations' achievements to outside help, while European feats are seen as their own, reinforcing white supremacy myths.
🗿 The speaker's personal experience with a Maya man highlights the impact of pseudo-archaeology on indigenous people's perception of their own history and culture.
🌐 Pseudo-archaeology harms not just indigenous people but also viewers by promoting inequality and undermining appreciation for human diversity.
🏫 The script discusses the importance of teaching accurate history and the controversy over curriculum changes in Jefferson County, Colorado, that included more diverse historical perspectives.
🗽 The debate over public monuments of controversial figures like Robert E. Lee and Christopher Columbus reflects the political nature of historical memory.
🔍 The speaker calls for archaeologists to make their discipline more inclusive by working with the descendants of the people they study and making archaeology more accessible to the public.
📚 The script concludes by emphasizing the importance of skepticism towards pseudo-archaeological claims and recognizing the political and ever-changing nature of history.

Q & A

What is the speaker's profession and area of study?
-The speaker is an archaeologist who specializes in studying the ancient Maya civilization.
What does the speaker describe as 'pseudo-archaeology'?
-Pseudo-archaeology is described as a field that seems like archaeology but involves making wild and unproven claims about the human past, such as aliens building the pyramids or survivors from Atlantis inventing hieroglyphic writing.
Why does the speaker argue that pseudo-archaeology is problematic?
-The speaker argues that pseudo-archaeology is problematic because it is often racist and xenophobic, sustaining myths of white supremacy and discrediting the achievements of non-European ancestors.
What is the significance of the image on the sarcophagus lid of the Maya king Pakal?
-The image on the sarcophagus lid of the Maya king Pakal is significant because it shows the deceased king rising from the underworld to be reborn as a deity, with a stylized world tree and symbols for the sun, moon, and stars, representing ancient Maya religion, cosmology, and iconography.
How does the speaker's neighbor's misconception about the Maya king Pakal's image reflect the impact of pseudo-archaeology?
-The neighbor's misconception, believing the image to be of an astronaut controlling a rocket ship, reflects the impact of pseudo-archaeology by overshadowing the actual cultural and historical significance of the image with a fictional alien narrative.
What are the two main actions the speaker suggests archaeologists should take to combat pseudo-archaeology?
-The speaker suggests that archaeologists should make their discipline more inclusive by working with and for the descendants of the people they study, and make archaeology more accessible by finding new ways to share their work with the public.
Why did the local school board in Jefferson County, Colorado, protest against the changes in the advanced placement curriculum?
-The local school board protested the changes because they believed the new curriculum did not do enough to promote capitalism or American exceptionalism, and included controversial topics like the removal of Native Americans to reservations and the rise of economic inequality.
What is the debate surrounding public monuments to controversial figures?
-The debate revolves around whether such monuments should be left as they are, destroyed, or placed in museums, and how to deal with protesters who deface these monuments, whether to praise them for debunking myths of white supremacy or punish them for vigilantism and lawlessness.
What does the speaker imply about the importance of who presents the past in history textbooks and public monuments?
-The speaker implies that it is crucial to consider who presents the past because it directly relates to current political concerns and can influence our understanding of history, suggesting that if marginalized voices were the ones telling history, our understanding might be different.
What example does the speaker provide of how real archaeology can be engaging without resorting to pseudo-archaeological claims?
-The speaker provides the example of the 1950s game show 'What in the World,' where archaeologists would identify artifacts and their origins, demonstrating that real archaeology, based on scientific facts and historical context, can be fascinating and engaging without the need for sensationalist claims.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 The Misleading Appeal of Pseudo-Archaeology

The speaker, an archaeologist, recounts a conversation with a stranger on a plane who believes in the influence of aliens on ancient civilizations, reflecting on the prevalence of pseudo-archaeology—a field that makes unproven claims about history, often involving extraterrestrial involvement. The speaker criticizes the racism and xenophobia inherent in such theories, which tend to undermine the achievements of non-European cultures by attributing them to external, often alien, influences. They express concern over the impact of these theories on culture and history, citing examples from popular media and highlighting the importance of recognizing and challenging these misconceptions.

05:02

🔍 The Harmful Effects of Pseudo-Archaeology on Perception and Reality

This paragraph delves into the negative consequences of pseudo-archaeology, emphasizing its role in perpetuating racial stereotypes and historical inaccuracies. The speaker argues that the deliberate misrepresentation of history for political purposes is harmful, citing the controversy over the curriculum in Jefferson County, Colorado, and the debate over public monuments. They call for a more inclusive and accessible approach to archaeology, suggesting that involving the descendants of the cultures being studied and making archaeological findings more engaging to the public could help counteract the spread of pseudo-archaeological theories.

10:02

🚀 Challenging Pseudo-Archaeology: A Call for Skepticism and Inclusivity

The final paragraph serves as a call to action, urging skepticism towards pseudo-archaeological claims and a reevaluation of how history is presented and consumed. The speaker emphasizes the political nature of historical narratives and the importance of who controls these narratives. They propose that a more inclusive approach to archaeology, one that involves marginalized voices and makes the discipline more accessible, can help combat racism and xenophobia. The speaker concludes by reminding the audience that historical interpretations have real-world implications and encourages a mindful approach to engaging with the past.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Archaeology

Archaeology is the scientific study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. In the video, archaeology is the profession of the speaker and the lens through which the critique of pseudo-archaeology is framed. The speaker uses their experience as an archaeologist to debunk unfounded claims about the involvement of aliens in ancient civilizations.

💡Pseudo-archaeology

Pseudo-archaeology refers to theories that mimic the methods and appearance of archaeological research but lack scientific rigor and evidence. The video discusses pseudo-archaeology as a form of entertainment that often makes wild and unproven claims about the past, such as aliens building the pyramids, which can have real-world implications, including perpetuating racism and xenophobia.

💡Ancient Maya

The Ancient Maya were a Mesoamerican civilization that developed in the area now known as Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. The video uses the study of the Ancient Maya as an example of how real archaeology uncovers the history and culture of a civilization, contrasting it with the pseudo-archaeological claims that aliens influenced their development.

💡Racism

Racism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one race over another, which often results in discrimination and prejudice towards people based on their race or ethnicity. The video argues that pseudo-archaeology can perpetuate racist ideologies by suggesting that non-European civilizations required external, often alien, help to achieve their accomplishments.

💡Xenophobia

Xenophobia is the fear or hatred of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange. The video connects pseudo-archaeology's focus on external influences, such as aliens, as a form of xenophobia that undermines the achievements of indigenous cultures by attributing them to outside forces.

💡White Supremacy

White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to people of other races and should therefore dominate society. The video points out that pseudo-archaeology sustains myths of white supremacy by implying that non-white civilizations could not have achieved their accomplishments without outside help, while European civilizations are credited with their own achievements.

💡Inclusivity

Inclusivity in the context of the video refers to making the discipline of archaeology more diverse and representative by involving and working for the descendants of the people being studied. The speaker calls for a more inclusive approach to archaeology to counteract the biases and misinformation spread by pseudo-archaeology.

💡Accessibility

Accessibility in this context means making archaeology more understandable and engaging to the general public. The video suggests that by making archaeology more accessible, it can compete with pseudo-archaeology for public interest and help to correct misconceptions about the past.

💡Public Monuments

Public monuments are structures or statues erected in public spaces to commemorate people, events, or ideas. The video discusses the controversy surrounding monuments to controversial historical figures as a reflection of how the past is remembered and presented to the public, which can be influenced by political and social agendas.

💡Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture, often in a way that is seen as disrespectful or misrepresentative. While not explicitly mentioned in the video, the concept is implicitly criticized when discussing how pseudo-archaeology misrepresents the achievements of ancient civilizations by attributing them to external, often alien, forces.

💡Historical Revisionism

Historical revisionism is the act of reinterpreting or re-evaluating historical events or figures, often with the intent of serving a particular political or ideological agenda. The video touches on this concept by discussing how some people knowingly change historical and archaeological facts to justify racism or present a more favorable version of history.

Highlights

The speaker is an archaeologist who studies the ancient Maya and often encounters pseudo-archaeology claims about extraterrestrial involvement in ancient cultures.

Pseudo-archaeology involves making unproven claims about the human past, such as aliens building the pyramids or lost continents like Atlantis.

Despite being unfounded, these claims are widespread in media, influencing culture in harmful ways.

Pseudo-archaeology often sustains myths of white supremacy by suggesting non-Europeans needed outside help for their achievements.

The speaker recounts an anecdote about a local Maya man who preferred a fictional alien story over his own ancestors' achievements.

Pseudo-archaeology not only harms indigenous people but also viewers by promoting inequality and racism.

The speaker argues that deliberately changing history is often done to justify racism or present a more favorable historical narrative.

A debate in Jefferson County, Colorado, over the teaching of American history highlights the political nature of how the past is presented.

The debate over public monuments to controversial figures raises questions about historical accuracy and the promotion of certain ideologies.

The speaker suggests that who presents the past and what is included in history education is crucial for understanding historical narratives.

Archaeologists need to make their discipline more inclusive by working with the descendants of the people they study.

An example of inclusive archaeology is Richard Leventhal's work in Tiasuco, Mexico, focusing on local interests rather than foreign perspectives.

Archaeology should be more accessible to the public, avoiding the sensationalism of pseudo-archaeology.

The speaker calls for skepticism towards pseudo-archaeological claims and an awareness of their potential to promote harmful ideologies.

The past is political, ever-changing, and has a significant impact on our daily lives, influencing how we should approach historical narratives.

The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of accurate historical representation in media, books, and public monuments.