> there is the unpleasant whiff of colonialism here [...] reinforced racist tropes [...] widespread notion in the West that much of Africa didn’t have a history

> there is the unpleasant whiff of colonialism here [...] reinforced racist tropes [...] widespread notion in the West that much of Africa didn’t have a history It is indeed unpleasant – that people resort to this cheap rhetorical kick in the teeth of using white-shaming as an argument itself. Especially when the author touches on an important topic. Because doing it this way – by slipping in intent – contorts cause and effect. Yes, the dichotomy of history and prehistory is an underrated one. Yes, it deduces prehistoric cultures as dull. But this includes the pre-history of the alledged racists! The matter at play here is not the interlined plot to plunder and subjugate the world, but our inability to recognize that the written word is just a small appendix to our every-day culture, till this day. Even today we barely notice how much of our behaviours and rituals can be shaped in complete abscense of any written and oral communication. Nobody tells the Copenhagen cyclist to cycle much more considerate (with regards to other cyclists, drivers and pedestrians) than a Berlin cyclist. But they still do. When judging cultures, it's the insignificance of the written word that us writers fail to see. And thus today's richness is just as hidden as the richness of the past.