For decades, descendants of the people who built Great Zimbabwe were told by colonial archaeologists that they couldn't possibly have built it.
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@oscarfalcon 100% and it's a subject specifically within drystone that we do not talk about enough. Our understanding of the world and the craft is extremely Eurocentric. Why? Racism, let's be honest.
Indeed!
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@kristiedegaris the "aliens built it " trope is pure racism always has been part of the pseudoscientific "ancient astronaut theory " Von Daniken was a major proponent and a nasty colonial racist among others who then wrote books and created films full of nonsense
@Robbins Completely agree. That's why I wrote this piece. As a drystone waller and therefore a custodian of the craft it is important to talk about all sides of it.
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@Robbins Completely agree. That's why I wrote this piece. As a drystone waller and therefore a custodian of the craft it is important to talk about all sides of it.
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@oscarfalcon 100% and it's a subject specifically within drystone that we do not talk about enough. Our understanding of the world and the craft is extremely Eurocentric. Why? Racism, let's be honest.
BTW, I saw the BBC is doing a report on drystone construction for Countryfile next Sunday and I'm curious: did they reach out to you for this?
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@oscarfalcon 100% and it's a subject specifically within drystone that we do not talk about enough. Our understanding of the world and the craft is extremely Eurocentric. Why? Racism, let's be honest.
@kristiedegaris yep, and it's something shared by many other crafts
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BTW, I saw the BBC is doing a report on drystone construction for Countryfile next Sunday and I'm curious: did they reach out to you for this?
@oscarfalcon No, I haven't ever been asked. I think others in the community don't appreciate my views and my dislike of the institutions and their attitudes. I also don't present the comforting view of traditional crafts that people like to have.
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@kristiedegaris yep, and it's something shared by many other crafts
@alx @oscarfalcon Sadly, this is very true and again, while I can only talk specifically about drystone (as that is my main experience), it seems clear that the institutions at the front of these crafts have so much to answer for.
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@oscarfalcon No, I haven't ever been asked. I think others in the community don't appreciate my views and my dislike of the institutions and their attitudes. I also don't present the comforting view of traditional crafts that people like to have.
Oh, sad isn't it? missed opportunity to present a more broad piece of reporting...
(Isn't their motto "educate, entertain and inform"? ha!, my arse...) -
@alx @oscarfalcon Sadly, this is very true and again, while I can only talk specifically about drystone (as that is my main experience), it seems clear that the institutions at the front of these crafts have so much to answer for.
Let's hope someday soon, they do.
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@oscarfalcon No, I haven't ever been asked. I think others in the community don't appreciate my views and my dislike of the institutions and their attitudes. I also don't present the comforting view of traditional crafts that people like to have.
I appreciate what you do, truly.
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I appreciate what you do, truly.
@oscarfalcon This is very kind. Thank you! I love that people are engaging with this ancient craft and my thoughts on it.
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@oscarfalcon This is very kind. Thank you! I love that people are engaging with this ancient craft and my thoughts on it.
I do, we do...
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@alx @oscarfalcon Sadly, this is very true and again, while I can only talk specifically about drystone (as that is my main experience), it seems clear that the institutions at the front of these crafts have so much to answer for.
True, but this different evaluation of crafts has very deep roots in history, and it's been only exacerbated with the modern concept of "crafts" that emerged from the industrial revolution - especially in the colonial powers that industrialised first (the UK being the first). There is a countercurrent movement from large institutions, but I find more than often that - to value them - non-European crafts are hyper-romanticised, which isn't good either.
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True, but this different evaluation of crafts has very deep roots in history, and it's been only exacerbated with the modern concept of "crafts" that emerged from the industrial revolution - especially in the colonial powers that industrialised first (the UK being the first). There is a countercurrent movement from large institutions, but I find more than often that - to value them - non-European crafts are hyper-romanticised, which isn't good either.
Good Point.
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For decades, descendants of the people who built Great Zimbabwe were told by colonial archaeologists that they couldn't possibly have built it. This despite all the evidence & Zimbabwe meaning 'houses of stone' in the Shona language.
The ancient aliens industry applies the same logic to Sacsayhuamán in Peru.
Yet nobody questions who built the impressive structures in Rome or Greece.
Sunday's Drystone Diary will explore Whose History Is Worth Keeping?
@kristiedegaris was the last line meant to be a link?
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Good Point.
@oscarfalcon @alx I find the same about crafts in Europe tbh. This trend in UK publishing right now to romanticise crafts as purely meditative makes me so angry. The craft is in the body, the making unmakes the maker. That's ignored in favour of a pretty picture.
I think European insitutions that head up crafts have a responsibility to speak honestly and openly about this history and redress the balance where possible. I never see it happening.
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@kristiedegaris was the last line meant to be a link?
@afewbugs Hello, no, it will come out on Sunday so doesn't exist yet. Thank you for checking though!
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@afewbugs Hello, no, it will come out on Sunday so doesn't exist yet. Thank you for checking though!
@kristiedegaris thanks, look forward to it!
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For decades, descendants of the people who built Great Zimbabwe were told by colonial archaeologists that they couldn't possibly have built it. This despite all the evidence & Zimbabwe meaning 'houses of stone' in the Shona language.
The ancient aliens industry applies the same logic to Sacsayhuamán in Peru.
Yet nobody questions who built the impressive structures in Rome or Greece.
Sunday's Drystone Diary will explore Whose History Is Worth Keeping?
You can read the first installment of Drystone Diary here
https://kristiedegaris.substack.com/p/drystone-diary-what-is-drystone
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@oscarfalcon @alx I find the same about crafts in Europe tbh. This trend in UK publishing right now to romanticise crafts as purely meditative makes me so angry. The craft is in the body, the making unmakes the maker. That's ignored in favour of a pretty picture.
I think European insitutions that head up crafts have a responsibility to speak honestly and openly about this history and redress the balance where possible. I never see it happening.
@kristiedegaris oh, totally agree and share your frustration. In my PhD I argue that this is a result of the displacement of craft from a proper economic activity (where economic=the management of the home/habitat/resources) vital for the communal life to an "artistic" (for lack of better terms) endeavour, having its primary role been taken over by industrial manufacturing. So someone can pursue only for "meaning" and/or "wellbeing". These institutions are built on this premise.
