DNA and Soil: Archaeology, Palaeogenetics and Nationalism
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 23/04/2017

Nationalist ideologies are often built upon ethnic origin myths that serve to promote a deep connection between ancestry and country. Nationalist organisations have often distorted past scientific investigations into population histories that utilise both modern and ancient DNA to fit with these myths, particularly classic ideas of ‘blood and soil’. In Britain, such results have repeatedly been misappropriated to argue for the predominant persistence of a distinctive British genome since the end of the last Ice Age. This perceived deep ‘British’ ancestry has been used as justification to discriminate against recent immigrants and their descendants. Nationalist groups tend to exist on the fringes of political discourse, however the influence of their ideas can be more widespread, particularly when disseminated through social media.
The rise of commercial genetic ancestry testing companies like 23 and Me means that the public are more aware of the potential of DNA to inform on individual and collective ancestries. Recent advances in Palaeogenomic techniques mean that we now have unprecedented insight into the genetic history of Europe. There is some evidence that aspects of these recent studies are already being misrepresented by nationalist organisations to promote their ideologies. This talk will discuss how archaeologists engaging with recent advances in palaeogenetics and incorporating the results in their narratives may help to counter-act nationalistic organisations co-opting genetic studies to promote their own agendas. Archaeologists are well-placed to discuss these results with the general public and link them specifically to archaeological features and landscapes, emphasising the substantial intertwining of culture and genetics.

Tom Booth, Natural History Museum, London