Telling the Story of Europe in Africa
“Until lions have their own historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.” In his book, Africana Studies: A Survey of the African Diaspora, Dr. Mario Azevedo, an author, professor, epidemiologist and historian, says the first European historians to study the continent of Africa only focused on African history that consisted of European events and individuals. By disregarding the existence of African leaders, prosperous kingdoms and intellectual developments, the historians implied that Africa did not have a history prior to European involvement.
Belittling Africa’s Technological Difference
Many archaeologists believed that Africa was inferior to Europe due to the fact that Africa’s tools and materials were not deemed valuable or relevant, according to European standards. Max Dashu, an American historian and founder of the Suppressed Histories Archives website, describes this ideology as the “technological calibration doctrine.” Archeological findings derived from this belief have led many to adopt the common misconception that Africa was historically primitive.