Ancient DNA and the African Past

Globally, ancient DNA has been a disruptive force in studies of the human past, triggering debates on research ethics, methods, interpretations, and stakeholder engagement. Although ancient DNA was long thought inaccessible in the tropics, whole genomes have now been sequenced from the remains of more than 100 people buried at African archaeological sites spanning the last 20,000 years, sometimes providing insights not available from other lines of evidence. This talk will consider how recent archaeogenetic findings compare to archaeological records, focusing principally on the Rift Valley of Tanzania and Kenya, and will invite a discussion of how linguists and archaeologists might work together closely as the field of ancient DNA matures, inviting greater interdisciplinary dialogue and more equal-footed collaborations.