Hello all
As well as agreeing with what Tobias has already said, I was sadden by the
depiction of the Neanderthals and their lives as "brutish, nasty and short".
The (mis)-use of analogy is something we should avoid yet this programme
managed to re-inforce two sets of stereotypes within a few minutes. The
scenes of the Neanderthal family grooming was lifted directly from wildlife
programmes on the great apes - are the producers suggesting that they were
no more than apes? The Homo Saps, on the other hand, had elobrate
hairstyles, were shaved, had painted faces and carried themselves tall -
their imagary comes straight from Harriet and White's 17th century drawings
of native Americans - the very personification of the nobel savage. These
images are already there in peoples minds. By setting up this juxatpostion
the producers are letting the audience know that we are definitely NOT
Neanderthals, we are 'civilised'.
Instead of stressing the importance that the Neanderthals have in our
society, for they allow us to consider differing notions on what is
humanity, the programme fell back on tired cliches and dressed it up as
truth. Now we all do this to a certain extent, but most of it is for the
consumption of a few academics who play the game and argue back. But there
are many who will take this show as truth and not question where the
information came from, nor care because it's good telly.
I could go on, but I won't - the root of this is about what control, if any,
archaeologist have or should have in how the past is dipicted. Judging from
the show, very little, but then again, if we are concenred about it, we
should also be the ones trying to change it. If we leave the data without
interpretation, or if we allow others to take over and mis-represent what we
mean, we should speak out.
regards
Helen
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