Gregory Aldrete

When you move back just a little earlier to the prehistoric era or to civilizations that don't have written sources surviving, and some of these are ancient Mediterranean ones, I mean, anything goes. I mean, one of the jokes is that museums, archaeological museums, are full of objects which are labeled cult object. Right. It's a religious object.

And I think the honest label that should be on that thing is, we have no idea what the hell this is. But I want to believe it's something important, so I'm going to say it's a religious object. But in reality, it's an ancient toilet paper roll holder or something. And it's a huge problem when you try to interpret a civilization without written text.

And I think the honest label that should be on that thing is, we have no idea what the hell this is. But I want to believe it's something important, so I'm going to say it's a religious object. But in reality, it's an ancient toilet paper roll holder or something. And it's a huge problem when you try to interpret a civilization without written text.

And I think the honest label that should be on that thing is, we have no idea what the hell this is. But I want to believe it's something important, so I'm going to say it's a religious object. But in reality, it's an ancient toilet paper roll holder or something. And it's a huge problem when you try to interpret a civilization without written text.

And my favorite little story that kind of illustrates this is in the 19th century, this German who had gone to school in England, one of the best educated guys of his time, goes to North Africa and is poking around in the desert. And he finds this site with these huge stone monoliths, 10 feet tall in pairs. Mm-hmm. And there's a lintel stone across the top.

And my favorite little story that kind of illustrates this is in the 19th century, this German who had gone to school in England, one of the best educated guys of his time, goes to North Africa and is poking around in the desert. And he finds this site with these huge stone monoliths, 10 feet tall in pairs. Mm-hmm. And there's a lintel stone across the top.

And my favorite little story that kind of illustrates this is in the 19th century, this German who had gone to school in England, one of the best educated guys of his time, goes to North Africa and is poking around in the desert. And he finds this site with these huge stone monoliths, 10 feet tall in pairs. Mm-hmm. And there's a lintel stone across the top.

So sort of like big, you know, two posts with a stone across the top. And there's a big stone in front of them too. And so he looks at this stuff and he says, well, what does this remind me of? It reminds me of Stonehenge, right? And there's even a site where there's multiple of these kind of in a square.

So sort of like big, you know, two posts with a stone across the top. And there's a big stone in front of them too. And so he looks at this stuff and he says, well, what does this remind me of? It reminds me of Stonehenge, right? And there's even a site where there's multiple of these kind of in a square.

So sort of like big, you know, two posts with a stone across the top. And there's a big stone in front of them too. And so he looks at this stuff and he says, well, what does this remind me of? It reminds me of Stonehenge, right? And there's even a site where there's multiple of these kind of in a square.

So he goes back and talks about this, and an Englishman goes and studies them, and he finds a ton of these sites, and he finds some of them where there's 17 of these pairs. And so he goes back and he writes a whole book about how clearly the Celtic peoples who once lived in Britain came originally from North Africa.

So he goes back and talks about this, and an Englishman goes and studies them, and he finds a ton of these sites, and he finds some of them where there's 17 of these pairs. And so he goes back and he writes a whole book about how clearly the Celtic peoples who once lived in Britain came originally from North Africa.

So he goes back and talks about this, and an Englishman goes and studies them, and he finds a ton of these sites, and he finds some of them where there's 17 of these pairs. And so he goes back and he writes a whole book about how clearly the Celtic peoples who once lived in Britain came originally from North Africa.

Because he's found this site and he reconstructs the religion where obviously they practice religious rituals here. And they had rites of passage. They squeeze between the things. And the altar stones have this basin. So they had blood sacrifice and all this. And it seemed reasonable. And then, you know, you ask some locals, well, what's that stuff out in the desert there?

Because he's found this site and he reconstructs the religion where obviously they practice religious rituals here. And they had rites of passage. They squeeze between the things. And the altar stones have this basin. So they had blood sacrifice and all this. And it seemed reasonable. And then, you know, you ask some locals, well, what's that stuff out in the desert there?

Because he's found this site and he reconstructs the religion where obviously they practice religious rituals here. And they had rites of passage. They squeeze between the things. And the altar stones have this basin. So they had blood sacrifice and all this. And it seemed reasonable. And then, you know, you ask some locals, well, what's that stuff out in the desert there?

And they mean, oh, the old Roman olive oil factory. And those are the remains of an olive press. And we're back to olives. I keep dwelling on olives. Yeah. Olives don't grow in England or Germany. Yeah. So this is cultural bias. If all you have is physical evidence, you're going to interpret that evidence through your own cultural biases.

And they mean, oh, the old Roman olive oil factory. And those are the remains of an olive press. And we're back to olives. I keep dwelling on olives. Yeah. Olives don't grow in England or Germany. Yeah. So this is cultural bias. If all you have is physical evidence, you're going to interpret that evidence through your own cultural biases.

And they mean, oh, the old Roman olive oil factory. And those are the remains of an olive press. And we're back to olives. I keep dwelling on olives. Yeah. Olives don't grow in England or Germany. Yeah. So this is cultural bias. If all you have is physical evidence, you're going to interpret that evidence through your own cultural biases.

So if you're an Englishman and you see big stone uprights like this, you're going to think Stonehenge. If you're from the Mediterranean, you're going to think olive press. So that's a salutary example, I think, of the dangers of interpreting physical evidence when you don't have written evidence to go along with it. And, you know, think today.