Open Tech Calendar

Skeptics on the Fringe Presents:

Dr Stacy Hackner - Paleofantasy and Ancient Aliens

Do you imagine cavemen going out to club a bear while cavewomen stayed home with the kids? Did you learn in school that the Greeks invented civilisation? Do you believe that aliens built the pyramids? When you see the image of apes evolving into man, do you stop to question the idea that it represents a progression to the ultimate goal of contemporary Western civilisation? These are all myths about the ancient world perpetuated by the media, uninformed pseudo-scientists, and sometimes outright racists. The way we teach history tends to focus a model of humanity that’s reinforcing 1950's white gender roles and reproducing capitalist patriarchy. I’ll discuss a few ways in which a common conception of the past doesn’t add up, why we’ve come to think of history in this biased way, and how we can continue to question and correct these misunderstandings.

Stacy Hackner is a human fact generator and archaeologist specialising in human bones, focusing on a reassessment of gender-based social roles in the ancient world, drawing attention to ideas we hold that are based in 1960s ideals of family life ("man hunt, woman cook!" is a hard belief to kill). She has worked in a number of dusty holes across the globe, most recently in a 19th-century cemetery in Cyprus, and has lectured at UCL and Birkbeck in archaeology, epidemiology, and museum studies. Stacy also believes that science needs to be more public-facing and decolonialised, and hosts science communication activities at museums and festivals to this end, while also managing a public engagement team at UCL Museums. Students describe her as "a good reason to wake up before 9" and her lectures as "kinda like falling into a Wikipedia hole". She enjoys camping, queer cinema, and giving internet trolls a smackdown. She will always pop up on your feed to share a terrible archaeology pun.

Twitter - @stacytg
stacyhackner.wordpress.com

Similar events on the Fringe normally cost around £10 but all our Fringe events are free and non-ticketed. Entry is first-come-first-served basis and we will ask for a donation to help cover our costs. Your support is very welcome. Venue is strictly over-18 and access is via a narrow staircase. If you need help getting access, please let us know in advance (email [masked]) and we will try to help.