“Man is the only one that knows nothing, that can learn nothing without being taught. He can neither speak nor walk nor eat, and in short he can do nothing at the prompting of nature only, but weep.”

— Pliny the Elder, Natural History

This week, join Cyrus Palizban and Alexander (Sasha) Kim, a Harvard PhD candidate in Anthropology, as we delve into Sasha’s fascinating work at the crossroads of archaeology and ancient DNA, focusing on North Eurasia. Using the above quote by Pliny the Elder as our starting point, we discuss human uniqueness – debating biological and developmental perspectives, and contrasting it with the knowledge systems of indigenous cultures like the Yukaghirs of Siberia. Drawing from both historical texts and Sasha’s fieldwork experiences, we discuss reincarnation beliefs, the autonomy of children, and how different societies perceive knowledge and authority. They dive deep into the interconnectedness of human, animal, and spiritual realms. Sasha’s joy of unearthing ancient stories through his archaeology and anthropology really shines through in this fascinating episode.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:25 Sasha's Background and Work

01:10 Quote of the Week: Pliny the Elder

01:53 Debating Human Exceptionalism

04:46 Anthropological Perspectives on Learning

07:08 Reincarnation Beliefs Across Cultures

13:57 Yukaghir Society and Child Autonomy

24:02 Comparative Cultural Insights

33:16 Pliny the Elder and Animal Valuation

45:41 Sasha's Motivation and Conclusion

Meditations: https://chat.whatsapp.com/JIFXc06ABCPEsyfUBtvm1U

Chronicles: https://chat.whatsapp.com/FD6M9a35KCE2XrnJrqaGLU

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