Homo Naledi & Eurocentrism
Here it is!! My inaugural episode, of an ongoing planned series, that I’ve named “Zero Barriers”. As I’m still very new to non-text ways of sharing my thoughts, I’ll ask you to ignore continuing glitches I experience.
!! Let me know what you think in the comments !!
Transcript
Welcome to the inaugural episode of “Zero Barriers”, a series dedicated to dissecting, discussing, and dismantling the systemic biases that shape our world. This podcast is an extension of what I call the “Zensunni Bardo Path”, a philosophy grounded in the belief that Answers are all around us—we just need the right Questions to unlock them. Today, we're venturing into the realms of palaeontology and anthropology, with a special focus on the discovery of Homo Naledi. But before we dive in, it's crucial to understand that my own life experiences serve as the lens through which I explore these complex issues.
I come from a mixed background of German, Jewish, Roma, and Mongolian ancestry—a rich tapestry that has been both a source of pride and a target for derogatory "jokes" since childhood. Raised in a working-class family that never missed an opportunity to remind me I was "from the wrong side of the tracks", I've been othered in multiple ways throughout my life.
My family emigrated to Canada due to the stigmatisation of our Mormon faith in Germany—a faith I left at 19. Coming out as gay at 14, I didn't face overt discrimination for my sexuality until entering the workforce. However, the most insidious form of othering I've experienced stems from a decade-long history of childhood abuse, compounded by the societal biases that make it difficult for male survivors, especially those abused by female siblings, to find help.
Now, at 57, I continue to be marginalized due to my disabilities—many of which are hidden—and my refusal to "hide them away like a proper adult."
Why share all this? Because these experiences shape how I view the systemic biases in fields like paleontology, where discoveries like Homo Naledi are framed through a predominantly white, Eurocentric lens. As we delve into today's topic, remember that the biases we discuss are not abstract—they affect real people, in real ways, every single day.
In the realm of paleontology and anthropology, discoveries like Homo Naledi are celebrated as groundbreaking. Found in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa, these remains have sparked numerous theories and debates. But who's leading these discussions? A closer look reveals an ocean of white academics, perpetuating a long-standing tradition of Eurocentric research.
The name "Naledi", meaning "star" in the Sotho language, might seem like a nod to the region's culture. However, it barely scratches the surface of local effect, while simultaneously obscuring the relevance of this discovery to the more broadly understood African Origins paradigm. This oversight is glaringly evident even in the way the discovery is presented in popular sources like Wikipedia, where the cultural significance of the name is relegated to a mere afterthought, buried deep within the text.
In fact, recent theories about Homo Naledi's burial customs offer a glaring example of how Eurocentric perspectives can shape scientific narratives. The prevailing hypotheses often lean on a set of assumptions deeply rooted in European, primarily Abrahamic, religious traditions. For instance, the notion of shallow graves as a common practice is often put forth, with little consideration given to how this might disrupt the dating of remains. It also ignores that internment is but one of many documented funerary methods that “humans” have utilised over our relatively short history. Similarly, theories that suggest ritualistic burning or consumption of remains rarely account for the fragile nature of human bones, which could explain the scarcity of specimens.
But perhaps the most telling oversight is the lack of consultation with local communities about their own historical or contemporary funerary practices. This omission not only limits the scope of academic understanding but also perpetuates a form of intellectual colonialism. By ignoring local and indigenous knowledge, researchers miss out on a wealth of cultural insights that could offer alternative explanations or enrich existing theories.
What if past societies had different notions about the soul, the body, and the afterlife? What if only certain members of a community were granted specific burial ceremonies? Or what if these societies had a cyclical view of life and death, akin to a "dust-to-dust" philosophy? These are questions that seldom get asked, let alone explored, when the yardstick for investigation is so narrowly defined.
As we marvel at discoveries like Homo Naledi, it's crucial to question the narratives being constructed and ask: Whose story gets to be told? And whose story is being erased or rewritten?
**Coming Next**
As we peel back the layers of bias in the Homo Naledi discovery, it's worth asking: How do other theories and narratives fare under the same scrutiny? Our next instalment will take you on a journey from the caves of South Africa to the ancient ruins of Sumeria as we delve into the controversial world of the Ancient Alien Theory.
Much like the Homo Naledi case, Ancient Alien Theory (AAT) is rife with Eurocentric biases, albeit in a different flavour. While the former leans on academic authority, the latter often bypasses scholarly rigour altogether, cherry-picking evidence to fit a preconceived narrative. But what happens when we apply the same critical lens to both? Are there common threads of bias that weave through seemingly disparate theories?
We'll explore how AAT conveniently shifts the focus to Sumeria as the "first civilization", ignoring evidence of advanced societies that predate it. We'll also examine how this theory serves as a modern manifestation of Eurocentrism, retrofitting history to support a narrative that's palatable to a predominantly white, Western audience.
Stay tuned for a thought-provoking comparison that aims to unearth the biases deeply embedded in how we interpret, communicate, and understand our shared history. This series promises to be an eye-opening journey into the stories we tell ourselves—and the stories we choose to ignore.
