Andy White Anthropology
  • Home
  • Research Interests
    • Complexity Science
    • Prehistoric Social Networks
    • Eastern Woodlands Prehistory
    • Ancient Giants
  • Blog
  • Work in Progress
    • The Kirk Project >
      • Kirk 3D Models list
      • Kirk 3D Models embedded
      • Kirk 2D images >
        • Indiana
        • Kentucky
        • Michigan
        • Ontario
      • Kirk Project Datasets
    • Computational Modeling >
      • FN3D_V3
    • Radiocarbon Compilation
    • Fake Hercules Swords
    • Wild Carolina >
      • Plants >
        • Mosses
        • Ferns
        • Conifers
        • Flowering Plants >
          • Grasses
          • Trees
          • Other Flowering Plants
      • Animals >
        • Birds
        • Mammals
        • Crustaceans
        • Insects
        • Arachnids
        • Millipedes and Centipedes
        • Reptiles and Amphibians
      • Fungi
  • Annotated Publications
    • Journal Articles
    • Technical Reports
    • Doctoral Dissertation
  • Bibliography
  • Data

Archaeology and the Scourge of White Supremacy: We Can Do More than Share Memes

8/15/2017

15 Comments

 
The recent events in Charlottesville have amplified the dialogue about the resurgent boldness of white supremacists in this country. Condemnation of what unfolded there -- including the murder of a woman protesting against the "Unite the Right" rally -- was generally swift and strong. A notable exception, of course, was the milquetoast reaction of President Trump. He shot an air ball on the political equivalent of a layup. It's part of a pattern of top-down weakness on this issue.

Charlottesville has catalyzed a conversation that we need to have in this country. White supremacism is a scourge that's been present since before our country was founded. It's a chronic illness. While the problem isn't new, however, one could argue (persuasively, I think) that what's happening now has new elements that need to be discussed and factored into strategies for dealing with the problem. Social media is one. The current political climate is another.

It's a relatively simple thing to express disgust and outrage at the ideas, goals, and behaviors of white supremacists. I've seen it all over Facebook and Twitter, as well as in statements by officials at all levels of government. Some of the archaeologists I know have latched onto various memes showing Indiana Jones punching a Nazi.  We are 
forever entangled in a love/hate relationship with Indiana Jones (looting graves = bad; punching Nazis = good).
Picture
Yes, Indiana Jones is punching a Nazi. It's not real. It's a movie.
That's all well and good, but we can do much better. Sharing a meme is -- literally -- the least you can do.

I'd like to challenge my friends in academic anthropology, archaeology, and other social sciences and humanities (e.g., sociology, history, psychology, political science, etc.) to integrate discussions of white supremacism into your classrooms. I expressed similar sentiments the day after the election. I have seen nothing in the past six months that has persuaded me that I was wrong.

As an archaeologist, my expertise lies in interpreting the human past through material remains. When evaluating a claim about the past, it is always fair and necessary to ask "how do you know?" Being a good archaeologist means being able to consider multiple explanations and interpretations and generate expectations that can be evaluated based on material evidence. It's a process that can be tedious, complex, sometimes fruitless, and often unsatisfying to those who want quick, easy answers. As disappointing as it may be to those who want archaeologists to be like Indiana Jones, developing and using scientific frameworks to figure out what, why, and how things happened in the human past is central to the project of archaeology. It's how we know what we know.

So what does that have to do with white supremacism?

White supremacist ideology, like many ideologies, is warranted in part by claims about the past. For a taste of what underlies the modern Alt-right's basket of baloney, see this post I wrote in January about Richard Spencer's interview of Kevin MacDonald.  The old-school German Nazis loved Atlantis, as do modern Aryan enthusiasts (like this one and this one). Slavery in the early United States was justified based in part on Samuel Morton's polygenist racial hierarchy, which he constructed using cranial data. Colonialism, empire-building, use of the Mound Builder myth to justify the forced removal of Native American populations . . . the list goes on and on. Claims about the past are entangled with claims about the inherent superiority of white people in all of these cases.

While many of the most racist misuses of archaeology can be traced back to the Victorian era, they aren't ancient history for the white supremacists who inhabit our social, cultural, and political landscape today. As professional archaeologists, we need to understand where those ideas come from, what basis they claim in fact, and why they gained traction. And we need to be able to explain why they are incorrect, not just assert that they're incorrect.  We need to be able to teach others to independently and critically evaluate the claims about the past that are presented to them. I don't have any specific data, but when I look at pictures of the white supremacists in Charlottesville, I see a lot of young faces. Much of the crowd was of college age. That's the age demographic we interact with.  

In my opinion, it's not enough for us as archaeologists and anthropologists to simply repeat the mantra of tolerance. We need to dig in our heels and use our expertise to expose students to the information and processes that give us such confidence that white supremacism has no basis in fact. This is something that all four branches can participate in. Physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistics . . . they're all relevant to the discussion and there's plenty to go around.

This is a four-field problem if ever there was one. I think Franz Boas would agree with me. I understand the visceral reaction of wanting to advertise that you'd like to punch Nazis. I'm asking you to think about your syllabus, also. Can you fit in a discussion of the the early history of physical anthropology? Can you find time to talk about one or two examples of how archaeology is abused for the sake of nationalism?

I'm not sure exactly what Papa Franz would do if he was alive today, but I'm sure he wouldn't have been silent. 
Picture
Did he punch any Nazis? Probably not.
For those keeping score, punching Richard Spencer -- twice -- didn't make him go away. This is positive evidence that a simple strategy of punching is probably not sufficient.
15 Comments
Wes Copas
8/15/2017 09:32:52 am

You can be absolutely sure that Papa Franz would have done something; he did, in fact, do a lot of somethings about this very topic. In the archaeology and physical anthropology classes I teach, this subject is integrated into the course at numerous times during the semester, particularly in the physical class. It always has been, but in the last two years or so the need has become more obvious... We (anthropologists) must address these matters; they are the origin of our discipline and its future.

Reply
Ken Lentz
8/15/2017 06:36:00 pm

More important than teaching anthropology students the fallacies behind white supremacy is educating the general public about the same thing. How about articles and/or books appealing to the general public (i.e. not textbook boring), by a prominent anthropologist which:

A. Identifies the claimed 'evidence' in favor of white supremacy,
B. Uses concrete evidence to debunk all these premises, one by one.

I would buy that book!

Reply
Andy White
8/16/2017 06:41:59 am

That's a good sentiment. I don't know if something like that already exists, but it would be worth looking into. My experience on the internet battlefield suggests that other avenues (such as YouTube videos) might be a good way of reaching people also. I have the technical skills to do that sort of thing, but am lacking time.

Reply
Robert L. Kelly
8/16/2017 09:25:07 am

My recent book, The Fifth Beginning (U. California Press) doesn't deal with white supremacy directly, but it does use prehistory to argue what path we should take for the future. Preview: world unity (without, I hope it goes without saying, Nazis). See reviews in Current Anthropology and by Brian Fagan in Current World Archaeology.

Ken Sassaman
8/16/2017 10:52:00 am

On the biological side of things, the Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould (1st ed. 1981; revised and expanded version, 1996) is an accessible read. I've used portions of it in General Anthropology for the past 25 years, those dealing with Gould's critical analysis of craniometry. He takes on the IQ science too. Papa Boaz would have endorsed this book wholeheartedly. By the way, not until this past year did I experience so much push back over presenting information to enable students to form their own judgment about the biological validity of "race." This involved only a handful of students in an online section, but still troubling to me.

Gordon Freeman
8/16/2017 11:36:50 am

The entire basis of this post rests on the presumption that white supremacists or even potential white supremacists are going to be taking archaeology, anthropology or other social sciences courses at the college level. I think it's safe to say that Nazis have total of 0 interest in these things. Therefore, you will only serve to nurture more white guilt which might actually create the opposite of the intended effect.

Reply
Ken sassaman
8/16/2017 11:48:03 am

We will only serve to nurture more white guilt by teaching about the lack of a biological basis for racial classification? Do you propose we ignore it altogether, or give into ignorance?

Reply
Andy White
8/16/2017 12:01:15 pm

I disagree with your premise, Gordon. I don't envision classrooms full of young white supremacists dutifully taking notes. What I'm talking about is having frank discussions about the history and basis of these ideas. It's not enough to simply tell people "that idea is nonsense" -- you've got to be able to explain WHY it's nonsense. Without an explanation it's easy to dismiss just about anything as "political correctness."

White supremacists make claims about the human past and the meaning of human biological/cultural variability that are complete baloney. It's easy enough to show that those claims are baloney, but we have to be willing to put the energy into doing that.

Reply
Gordon Freeman
8/16/2017 12:42:19 pm

"Without an explanation it's easy to dismiss just about anything as "political correctness."
"White supremacists make claims about the human past and the meaning of human biological/cultural variability that are complete baloney."

Both fair points. I will reframe my argument then. If white supremacy is to be addressed in the classroom then it should be approached through the condemnation of any type of racial supremacy. (Yes, there are non-white racial supremacists out there.) Having personally experienced this at the university level, I am fundamentally opposed to isolating any racial groups in the classroom, it alienates people, and I guarantee it will be counter productive in some cases. And I would go as far as saying it justifies spreading an instructor's anti-white sentiments if they have any.

Andy White
8/16/2017 12:50:01 pm

I'm not sure I understand your last sentence.

Yes, baloney claims about the human past are used to warrant all kinds of ideologies, not just white supremacy. Afrocentric claims about colonization of Mesoamerica, creationist claims, ethno-nationalism in the Near East, the Balkans, etc. The list is long. This particular post was about white supremacy, which rises to the top of the list as far a problematic issue deeply embedded in American culture and history.

Joe Scales
8/19/2017 08:41:17 am

You look hard enough into any hero or heroine's past, I'm sure some group will find something with which to take offense. Should that group ever attain political power, then bam... hero/heroine status revoked. It's all just politics really.

Reply
Zoroaster
8/19/2017 11:06:23 am

Joe Scale, now you're here?People, don't listen to this guy. In Jason Colavito's blog, he was defending Trump and the bigots of the Unite The Right. Joe, your tribal conservatism is toxic.

Reply
Joe Scales
8/20/2017 09:38:03 am

I've posted here for at least a year, or thereabouts. Though I have no recollection of your past posts here either, perhaps it's because they've been unremarkable. What you read into my remarks was not something I actually expressed. I respond to you simply to point this out and will ignore future unwarranted attacks on your part here.

RiverM
8/21/2017 08:43:29 pm

You don't have to listen to Joe. No one has to, just like they don't have to listen to you. I've read much of what Joe posts in this blog and Jason's and have only seen thoughtful conversation from a sharp mind. The type of post you made does not leave the same impression. Unfortunately there are degenerates on the left, right and everywhere in between. The closing of asylums in years past and currently allowing almost anyone to drive a vehicle and procreate are major problems no one wants to discuss or fix.

Zoroaster
8/19/2017 11:11:36 am

We need more books debunking white supremacist pseudohistory. There books by Jason Colavito, Francis Harold, Garrett Fagan and others but not enough in my opinion. Rationalwiki is a good website that has a section devoted to refuting pseudohistory and pseudoarchealogy so I recommend checking out that site if anyone has the time.

Reply



Leave a Reply.


    All views expressed in my blog posts are my own. The views of those that comment are their own. That's how it works.

    I reserve the right to take down comments that I deem to be defamatory or harassing. 

    Andy White

    Follow me on Twitter: @Andrew_A_White

    Email me: andy.white.zpm@gmail.com

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner


    Picture

    Sick of the woo?  Want to help keep honest and open dialogue about pseudo-archaeology on the internet? Please consider contributing to Woo War Two.
    Picture

    Follow updates on posts related to giants on the Modern Mythology of Giants page on Facebook.

    Archives

    January 2023
    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    March 2021
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    3D Models
    AAA
    Adena
    Afrocentrism
    Agent Based Modeling
    Agent-based Modeling
    Aircraft
    Alabama
    Aliens
    Ancient Artifact Preservation Society
    Androgynous Fish Gods
    ANTH 227
    ANTH 291
    ANTH 322
    Anthropology History
    Anunnaki
    Appalachia
    Archaeology
    Ardipithecus
    Art
    Atlantis
    Australia
    Australopithecines
    Aviation History
    Bigfoot
    Birds
    Boas
    Book Of Mormon
    Broad River Archaeological Field School
    Bronze Age
    Caribou
    Carolina Bays
    Ceramics
    China
    Clovis
    Complexity
    Copper Culture
    Cotton Mather
    COVID-19
    Creationism
    Croatia
    Crow
    Demography
    Denisovans
    Diffusionism
    DINAA
    Dinosaurs
    Dirt Dance Floor
    Double Rows Of Teeth
    Dragonflies
    Early Archaic
    Early Woodland
    Earthworks
    Eastern Woodlands
    Eastern Woodlands Household Archaeology Data Project
    Education
    Egypt
    Europe
    Evolution
    Ewhadp
    Fake Hercules Swords
    Fetal Head Molding
    Field School
    Film
    Florida
    Forbidden Archaeology
    Forbidden History
    Four Field Anthropology
    Four-field Anthropology
    France
    Genetics
    Genus Homo
    Geology
    Geometry
    Geophysics
    Georgia
    Giants
    Giants Of Olden Times
    Gigantism
    Gigantopithecus
    Graham Hancock
    Grand Valley State
    Great Lakes
    Hollow Earth
    Homo Erectus
    Hunter Gatherers
    Hunter-gatherers
    Illinois
    India
    Indiana
    Indonesia
    Iowa
    Iraq
    Israel
    Jim Vieira
    Jobs
    Kensington Rune Stone
    Kentucky
    Kirk Project
    Late Archaic
    Lemuria
    Lithic Raw Materials
    Lithics
    Lizard Man
    Lomekwi
    Lost Continents
    Mack
    Mammoths
    Mastodons
    Maya
    Megafauna
    Megaliths
    Mesolithic
    Michigan
    Middle Archaic
    Middle Pleistocene
    Middle Woodland
    Midwest
    Minnesota
    Mississippi
    Mississippian
    Missouri
    Modeling
    Morphometric
    Mound Builder Myth
    Mu
    Music
    Nazis
    Neandertals
    Near East
    Nephilim
    Nevada
    New Mexico
    Newspapers
    New York
    North Carolina
    Oahspe
    Oak Island
    Obstetrics
    Ohio
    Ohio Valley
    Oldowan
    Olmec
    Open Data
    Paleoindian
    Paleolithic
    Pilumgate
    Pleistocene
    Pliocene
    Pre Clovis
    Pre-Clovis
    Prehistoric Families
    Pseudo Science
    Pseudo-science
    Radiocarbon
    Reality Check
    Rome
    Russia
    SAA
    Sardinia
    SCIAA
    Science
    Scientific Racism
    Sculpture
    SEAC
    Search For The Lost Giants
    Sexual Dimorphism
    Sitchin
    Social Complexity
    Social Networks
    Solutrean Hypothesis
    South Africa
    South America
    South Carolina
    Southeast
    Stone Holes
    Subsistence
    Swordgate
    Teaching
    Technology
    Teeth
    Television
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Topper
    Travel
    Travel Diaries
    Vaccines
    Washington
    Whatzit
    White Supremacists
    Wisconsin
    Woo War Two
    World War I
    World War II
    Writing
    Younger Dryas

    RSS Feed

    Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly