There is a movement in Africa to bolster pride in the continent by debunking European myths about ‘wild Africa,’ i.e. that before Europeans arrived here there was no civilization. This effort is attempting not only to reveal the truth about that period, but also build local pride in the ancient civilizations there. But, given the actual impact that human civilizations have had on the planet and on people outside any given society, is civilization really something to build pride upon? How we understand this history has impacts on not only Africans but people of all civilizations – the way we perceive ourselves and the future directions we take. For this piece I have drawn on my own observations of Ghana, my visit to Ghana’s Mole National Park, interviews with a tour company operator, recent developments regarding the San (Bush People) of Botswana and that country’s recent Supreme Court decision to allow them back onto their tribal lands but with strict conditions imposed, and extensive secondary research into African politics and history.
Tag: History
The Evolution of Multiple Agricultures and their Cultural Dispersals — A Descent-Based Approach to the Study of Agricultural Origins and Dispersals
This paper was written as a thesis submitted to the University of Queensland’s School of Social Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements of a Bachelor of Anthropology Honours Degree. It describes how a proper understanding of cultural evolution dispels…
The Truth (Damned Truth) of Election Statistics
The year 2004. A multiple of four. That means at least three things. A leap year, the Summer Olympics, and the U.S. Presidential election. As for leap year, though it certainly applies this year, it actually doesn’t happen every multiple…
JFK
JFK – Director’s Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) Written by Oliver Stone & Zachary Sklar; Based on the books Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs and On the Trail of the Assasins by Jim Garrison; Directed by Oliver…
Nature’s Economy: A History of Ecological Ideas
Nature’s Economy: A History of Ecological Ideas (Studies in Environment and History) Donald Worster
A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History
A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History Lynne Cherry
The Earliest Odyssey: Scientists Trace Prehistoric Farmers’ Epic Voyage of Colonization
The Earliest Odyssey: Scientists Trace Prehistoric Farmers’ Epic Voyage of Colonization Robert Kunzig US News & World Report, April 8, 2002
The Birth of a New Physics
The Birth of a New Physics Bernard Cohen
Foucault’s Pendulum
Foucault’s Pendulum Umberto Eco
American Indian Holocaust and Survival: A Population History Since 1492
American Indian Holocaust and Survival: A Population History Since 1492 (Civilization of the American Indian Series) Russell Thornton