Newscriticism: "Ancient DNA Is Helping To Reconstruct Entire Bygone Societies" (Inverse, May 11th 2024)

[From Inverse's article.]

SUMMARY

Ancient DNA analysis is revolutionizing our understanding of past societies by providing detailed insights into their genetic makeup, family structures, and social organizations. By studying the DNA of individuals from various archaeological sites, researchers have reconstructed complex family trees and revealed social dynamics, such as marriage patterns and community interactions. This approach has been particularly illuminating for societies with limited historical records, allowing scientists to uncover the lifestyles and movements of ancient peoples, including nomadic groups like the Avars in the Carpathian Basin.

The study of ancient DNA has also shed light on broader political and cultural shifts, revealing how genetic changes correspond with historical events. For instance, genetic analysis of the Avars has helped trace their origins, migrations, and interactions with neighboring populations, painting a comprehensive picture of their empire's rise and fall. These findings highlight the power of ancient DNA to not only reconstruct biological histories but also to provide a deeper understanding of how ancient societies adapted and transformed over time (Nature).

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NEWSCRITICISM

History is the collective experiences of all human civilizations in regards to the flow and direction of experiences in existence over a certain amount of time given in the existence of a Civilization by itself. History is not just mere critique of story-things in the world, or a critique of one's existential decisions by his experience in the world: History is the 'great, grand record' of all gathered information about what we did in existence, and why we did so. A person without a history is a person without nothing; the nothing, being the percieved abscence of no-experience, no-experience is impossible; it is impossible to be no one - everyone can be someone and has his own direction in the realm of experiencing the world.

The initiative of discovering one's history - with, or without others - is a mark upon humankind, to figure what should be figured: "Why are they here and what role do they play upon existence?", that is the aim of History. Today, one can figure out that question in many ways of chronological historiography to find out thier role in existing, and why do they exist. Such is the eternal goal of mankind, which this goal manifests in one of its experiential and existential organs of Civilization itself: History. We will look forward from this day that advances in the scientific field through further knowledge of the Material World (Physical-Seen) will be utilized by the fields of the Humanities (and those fields that belonged in the Six Pillars of Civilization; see the book 'Essays on Civilization' for such a discussion) in order to improve our understanding of ourselves - and to existence.

The usage of DNA in the historical field is a much welcomed one in the field of History, but one should exercise caution in its usage - because history is precious, and should not be... 'mismanaged' or else the existential record of a thing in history will be gone!

Joshua Kyle T. Rovero

Estado Rovero

May 15th 2024