Novara FM: Who Dares To Rewrite 40,000 Years of History? w/ David Wengrow
Jan 25, 2024
auto_awesome
David Wengrow, archaeologist and co-author of The Dawn of Everything, challenges conventional narratives of human history, discussing topics such as the origins of inequality, misconceptions about the agricultural revolution, contradictions within the family unit, interpreting violence in prehistoric societies, reimagining human nature and history, and the experience of co-writing the book with David Graeber.
Traditional narratives of inequality are influenced by colonialism and perpetuate misconceptions about non-European cultures.
The widely accepted notion of an agricultural revolution is debunked, as early farming societies maintained flexibility and experimented with different social arrangements.
The origins of private property are more complex than commonly assumed, with alternative systems of collective land-holding existing throughout history.
Deep dives
Reimagining Human History: Challenging the Origins of Inequality
The podcast episode discusses the work of David Graver and David Wengrove, who challenge the traditional narrative about the origins of civilization and inequality. They argue that human history is not a monolithic story of progress and hierarchy, but rather a complex exploration of different ways of living. The podcast highlights three key insights from their work: the origins of inequality are not well-founded, the idea of an agricultural revolution is unsupported by evidence, and the flexibility of societies to experiment with different social arrangements. By questioning these conventional narratives, the episode challenges prevailing political and economic ideologies, paving the way for a reimagining of human history and the possibilities for real change.
Unveiling the Problematic Narratives: Origins of Inequality and Colonialism
The podcast delves into how the traditional narratives of the origins of inequality were influenced by colonialism and the dehumanization of non-European peoples. It explores how early colonial encounters led philosophers such as Rousseau and Hobbes to analyze and interpret indigenous ways of life, often disregarding their intellectual contributions. This discussion reveals the problematic nature of these narratives, which perpetuate misconceptions and stereotypes about non-European cultures and reinforces the idea of the inevitability of inequality. By scrutinizing these narratives, the episode challenges the dominant historical framework and encourages a more informed understanding of human history.
Rethinking the Agricultural Revolution and City Formation
The podcast challenges the widely accepted notion of an agricultural revolution as the catalyst for societal transformation and inequality. It explores how recent research in archaeology and anthropology has debunked the idea that agriculture led to permanent settlements and rigid social hierarchies. Instead, evidence suggests that early farming societies maintained flexibility and diversity in their economic practices. The episode also highlights the fluidity and experimental nature of early cities, offering examples like Teotihuacan in the Valley of Mexico. These findings invite a reevaluation of our understanding of agriculture, social formations, and the potential for alternative ways of organizing societies.
The Origins of Agriculture and Human History
The belief that agriculture marked the beginning of human history and the establishment of societies is being challenged. Evidence from various parts of the world shows that non-agricultural communities existed for a significant portion of human history. For example, the Jomam in Japan were a pre-rice farming culture that lasted for 10,000 years, the Poverty Point in America was a hunter-gatherer metropolis, and the Gebekli Tepe site in the Middle East had stone temples built by non-farmers. These examples debunk the idea that all pre-agricultural societies were the same or that there were only one or two categories. The notion of agriculture as the sole catalyst for societal development is oversimplified and ignores the diversity of human history.
Reconsidering the Origins of Private Property
The idea that private property originates from agriculture and sedentary living is not as clear-cut as often presented. In European legal traditions, notions of private property have roots in ancient Greece and Rome and were influenced by the concept of ownership associated with slave-holding societies. However, agrarian farming systems throughout history have not always relied on privatized land and strict ownership. Examples like the Russian mere organizations, Anglo-Saxon Runrig and Rundale, and German mark system show alternative systems of collective land-holding that don't involve landlords and tenants. Private property did not emerge solely from farming activities, and its origins are more complex than commonly assumed.
This episode was first released in November 2021. In the bestselling book The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity, archaeologist David Wengrow and the late anthropologist David Graeber offer a radically different story of our social evolution. Drawing on groundbreaking research gathered over a decade of collaboration, the book challenges just about everything […]
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
