Gregory Aldrete

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.

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.

Like, if our civilization were to blow up in a nuclear war and archaeologists were to dig this up, you know, how might they misinterpret things?

Like, if our civilization were to blow up in a nuclear war and archaeologists were to dig this up, you know, how might they misinterpret things?

Like, if our civilization were to blow up in a nuclear war and archaeologists were to dig this up, you know, how might they misinterpret things?

I mean, if they were to, you know, dig up a college dorm, like where I work, and that's what you had for this civilization, you'd probably go in the dorm rooms, you'd find all these little rooms, and maybe in every room you'd find this mysterious plastic disc that And so everybody has these, so it must be a cult object. And it's round, so obviously they're sun worshippers.

I mean, if they were to, you know, dig up a college dorm, like where I work, and that's what you had for this civilization, you'd probably go in the dorm rooms, you'd find all these little rooms, and maybe in every room you'd find this mysterious plastic disc that And so everybody has these, so it must be a cult object. And it's round, so obviously they're sun worshippers.

I mean, if they were to, you know, dig up a college dorm, like where I work, and that's what you had for this civilization, you'd probably go in the dorm rooms, you'd find all these little rooms, and maybe in every room you'd find this mysterious plastic disc that And so everybody has these, so it must be a cult object. And it's round, so obviously they're sun worshippers.

And if you can decipher the inscription, you'll see that obviously they all worship the great sun god Wham-O. It's like, what do you find in every dorm room? A frisbee. So that's the level of interpretation you have to beware of. And there's examples where we've done exactly this.

And if you can decipher the inscription, you'll see that obviously they all worship the great sun god Wham-O. It's like, what do you find in every dorm room? A frisbee. So that's the level of interpretation you have to beware of. And there's examples where we've done exactly this.

And if you can decipher the inscription, you'll see that obviously they all worship the great sun god Wham-O. It's like, what do you find in every dorm room? A frisbee. So that's the level of interpretation you have to beware of. And there's examples where we've done exactly this.

Yes. I mean, as a professional historian, that's what you do. You attempt to reconstruct an image of the past that is – Faithful to the evidence you have as filtered through what you can perceive of both the biases and the problems of the source material and your own biases. And it's a interpretation. It's a reconstruction.

Yes. I mean, as a professional historian, that's what you do. You attempt to reconstruct an image of the past that is – Faithful to the evidence you have as filtered through what you can perceive of both the biases and the problems of the source material and your own biases. And it's a interpretation. It's a reconstruction.

Yes. I mean, as a professional historian, that's what you do. You attempt to reconstruct an image of the past that is – Faithful to the evidence you have as filtered through what you can perceive of both the biases and the problems of the source material and your own biases. And it's a interpretation. It's a reconstruction.

But it's a lot like science where you're in a process of constantly reevaluating it and saying, okay, here's some new evidence. How do I work this into the picture? How do I now adjust it? And that's what's fun. I mean, it's a mystery. You're being a detective and trying to reconstruct and to understand a society. And it's even more fun where it's, yeah, you have to try to empathize.

But it's a lot like science where you're in a process of constantly reevaluating it and saying, okay, here's some new evidence. How do I work this into the picture? How do I now adjust it? And that's what's fun. I mean, it's a mystery. You're being a detective and trying to reconstruct and to understand a society. And it's even more fun where it's, yeah, you have to try to empathize.

But it's a lot like science where you're in a process of constantly reevaluating it and saying, okay, here's some new evidence. How do I work this into the picture? How do I now adjust it? And that's what's fun. I mean, it's a mystery. You're being a detective and trying to reconstruct and to understand a society. And it's even more fun where it's, yeah, you have to try to empathize.

Empathy is a great human thing, to empathize with people who are not yourself. And we should do this all the time with just the people we encounter, but this is what we're doing with ancient civilizations. And as I talked about earlier, sometimes you'll feel great sympathy there. Sometimes you'll feel incomprehension.

Empathy is a great human thing, to empathize with people who are not yourself. And we should do this all the time with just the people we encounter, but this is what we're doing with ancient civilizations. And as I talked about earlier, sometimes you'll feel great sympathy there. Sometimes you'll feel incomprehension.

Empathy is a great human thing, to empathize with people who are not yourself. And we should do this all the time with just the people we encounter, but this is what we're doing with ancient civilizations. And as I talked about earlier, sometimes you'll feel great sympathy there. Sometimes you'll feel incomprehension.