(no subject)
I just had a mind-blowing archaeology class. I don't think that I'm a naive person, so I'm quite disturbed that I hadn't thought of this before. Here's the background: I'm taking a class called "Incas and their ancestors" even though I have no interest whatsoever in archaeology (it counts toward my anthropology minor and was at a good time). Last semester, I took a class called "Introduction to archaeology," also because it counts toward my minor, and because the alternative (Human origins) was way too close to what my dad does (he's a paleontologist, and has primate people in his department).
Today, my professor, who focuses on South America, brought in her husband as a guest lecturer (he works primarily in Canada). He focused on how people came to the Americas and the controversy about how and when that happened. Which we totally covered in Intro to Archaeology, so I thought there would be no new information. But, it was pointed out to me exactly how political a question that is. I took it as obvious that people had come from Siberia into North America and then migrated into South America, either in between the North American glaciers (probably), or down the coast (less likely). What I didn't realize was how racist this theory was, and that there are other theories that are more common in South America. And, what was more upsetting to me (since this post is essentially all about me), was that the earliest sites are in South America, not North America, so how does it make sense that North Americans were here first? And I knew that, and never put it together. Woah!
On another note, my professor and her husband are so cute. When I'm a professor, I want to be married to another professor who disagrees with me. It was really fun.
Today, my professor, who focuses on South America, brought in her husband as a guest lecturer (he works primarily in Canada). He focused on how people came to the Americas and the controversy about how and when that happened. Which we totally covered in Intro to Archaeology, so I thought there would be no new information. But, it was pointed out to me exactly how political a question that is. I took it as obvious that people had come from Siberia into North America and then migrated into South America, either in between the North American glaciers (probably), or down the coast (less likely). What I didn't realize was how racist this theory was, and that there are other theories that are more common in South America. And, what was more upsetting to me (since this post is essentially all about me), was that the earliest sites are in South America, not North America, so how does it make sense that North Americans were here first? And I knew that, and never put it together. Woah!
On another note, my professor and her husband are so cute. When I'm a professor, I want to be married to another professor who disagrees with me. It was really fun.