The Research Seminar Series in Archaeology and Environmental archaeology invites you to a seminar with Anna Hegardt Källén, Museology, Umeå University, "The Trouble With Ancient DNA".
Abstract: The seminar will revolve around the results of the project Code Narrative History – Making Sense of Ancient DNA in Contemporary Culture (2018–2022), which are also presented in two forthcoming books: Critical Perspectives on Ancient DNA (MIT Press, July 2024) and The Trouble with Ancient DNA: Telling Stories of the Past with Genetic Science (The University of Chicago Press, January 2025).
Our studies are focused on the cultural meaning-making processes around recent aDNA research – in other words, how we make sense of ancient DNA in contemporary academic and popular culture. In my talk I will present some of our findings that highlight the double-faced nature of ancient DNA – as a molecule in scientific analysis, and as a sign of proof or evidence in popular discourse. The presentation will be anchored in concrete examples of celebrated stories of ancient DNA, such as the Yamnaya migrations and the Female Viking Warrior from Birka, and ends in a discussion on possible ways forward, towards a fruitful and more balanced coexistence of the humanities- and genetic science parties involved in ancient DNA research.
The Research Seminar Series in Archaeology and Environmental Archaeology presents and discusses current research in archaeology and environmental archaeology. See more upcoming seminars in the series
