Professor Caroline Winterer

In fact, some of the great civilization-bearing animals that we know today, like the horse, originated in the Americas, migrated westward over the Bearing Straits, which had been dry, and into Asia. And so Europe, in some sense, was a colony of America. That was such a great moment for the Americans.

In fact, some of the great civilization-bearing animals that we know today, like the horse, originated in the Americas, migrated westward over the Bearing Straits, which had been dry, and into Asia. And so Europe, in some sense, was a colony of America. That was such a great moment for the Americans.

In fact, some of the great civilization-bearing animals that we know today, like the horse, originated in the Americas, migrated westward over the Bearing Straits, which had been dry, and into Asia. And so Europe, in some sense, was a colony of America. That was such a great moment for the Americans.

Yeah, like you can get on a flight from San Francisco to Tokyo today. All these little horses and camels and various other early mammals had sprung from nothing in the Americas because of the great fertility that was imagined. and that on some early geological formation that was later erased by time, they migrated first into Asia and then finally into Europe.

Yeah, like you can get on a flight from San Francisco to Tokyo today. All these little horses and camels and various other early mammals had sprung from nothing in the Americas because of the great fertility that was imagined. and that on some early geological formation that was later erased by time, they migrated first into Asia and then finally into Europe.

Yeah, like you can get on a flight from San Francisco to Tokyo today. All these little horses and camels and various other early mammals had sprung from nothing in the Americas because of the great fertility that was imagined. and that on some early geological formation that was later erased by time, they migrated first into Asia and then finally into Europe.

And then they went extinct in the Americas. So by the time the Spaniards arrived in North America in the 1500s, you know, Cortes and others, They were bringing their horses, but it was really the return of the horse to its native land in much bigger form. So that was an exciting time. The final layer, of course, was humans.

And then they went extinct in the Americas. So by the time the Spaniards arrived in North America in the 1500s, you know, Cortes and others, They were bringing their horses, but it was really the return of the horse to its native land in much bigger form. So that was an exciting time. The final layer, of course, was humans.

And then they went extinct in the Americas. So by the time the Spaniards arrived in North America in the 1500s, you know, Cortes and others, They were bringing their horses, but it was really the return of the horse to its native land in much bigger form. So that was an exciting time. The final layer, of course, was humans.

And this created an extraordinary dilemma because the oldest fossil humans that were found were in fact being found in Europe. Around 1870, 1880, the word prehistory is invented to begin to talk about a time in human history that predates written records. So history is written records, Herodotus, Thucydides, that's history because it's written.

And this created an extraordinary dilemma because the oldest fossil humans that were found were in fact being found in Europe. Around 1870, 1880, the word prehistory is invented to begin to talk about a time in human history that predates written records. So history is written records, Herodotus, Thucydides, that's history because it's written.

And this created an extraordinary dilemma because the oldest fossil humans that were found were in fact being found in Europe. Around 1870, 1880, the word prehistory is invented to begin to talk about a time in human history that predates written records. So history is written records, Herodotus, Thucydides, that's history because it's written.

But now they were finding evidence of human beings before there was writing, so cave paintings, Neanderthals, how to talk about those? Well, they're prehistoric, they're human, but they don't write. Now, the trouble for North Americans was that those fossils were not being found in North America. So what white Americans did essentially was to adopt European

But now they were finding evidence of human beings before there was writing, so cave paintings, Neanderthals, how to talk about those? Well, they're prehistoric, they're human, but they don't write. Now, the trouble for North Americans was that those fossils were not being found in North America. So what white Americans did essentially was to adopt European

But now they were finding evidence of human beings before there was writing, so cave paintings, Neanderthals, how to talk about those? Well, they're prehistoric, they're human, but they don't write. Now, the trouble for North Americans was that those fossils were not being found in North America. So what white Americans did essentially was to adopt European

human fossils as their own, and to create human family trees that attributed the wonderful cave paintings at places like Lascaux that they were discovering to white Caucasian peoples who then were thought to live in New York City today. So they were basically saying, you know, white Americans have nothing to do with Native Americans.

human fossils as their own, and to create human family trees that attributed the wonderful cave paintings at places like Lascaux that they were discovering to white Caucasian peoples who then were thought to live in New York City today. So they were basically saying, you know, white Americans have nothing to do with Native Americans.

human fossils as their own, and to create human family trees that attributed the wonderful cave paintings at places like Lascaux that they were discovering to white Caucasian peoples who then were thought to live in New York City today. So they were basically saying, you know, white Americans have nothing to do with Native Americans.

Their cultural origins are in Europe and Europeans many thousands of years ago were already creating beautiful cave paintings. and those are our people.

Their cultural origins are in Europe and Europeans many thousands of years ago were already creating beautiful cave paintings. and those are our people.