Are these bones ancient calculators?

The Ishango and Lebombo Bones are archaeological artifacts from the Paleolithic era, dating between 22,000 and 44,000 years ago. Ever since the bones were found, there has been considerable professional debate over the meaning of their markings. A common claim is that they are ancient calculators. But how likely is this? Sources Apostolou, Nicholas, and …

The black Betty Boop myth

A popular internet meme claims Esther Jones, a famous black performer, was unethically exploited when cartoonist Max Fleischer invented the cartoon character Betty Boop, based on Jones’ image and singing style. The meme also claims Esther Jones spent years unsuccessfully trying to win back her legal rights to the image. But the “black Betty Boop” …

Are non-European science & math discoveries erased?

Journalist Shabnam Nasimi claim that European math and science discoveries are memorialised with individual names, while “when someone from India, Persia, or the Muslim world discovers the exact same thing, we just give it a boring generic name”. This video demonstrates Nasimi’s claim is untrue; non-European science & math discoveries erased are not erased. Media …

Did scientists corrupt this Wikipedia page?

Alternate historian Dan Richards runs the Youtube channel DeDunking. In his video “Archaeologist John Hoopes Corrupts Wikipedia”, Dan claims Hoopes has selectively edited Wikipedia pages to make them biased. In particular, he claims Hoopes has corrupted the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis page. But did Hoopes really corrupt this Wikipedia page? I investigated Dan’s claims, and …

Exposing fake Incan history

Megalithic Mysteries is a Twitter account and YouTube channel promoting pseudo-archaeology. In these videos I expose his fake Incan history claims. Media credits la, 1539-1616, Vega, Garcilaso de. English:  Title Page of Garcilaso de La Vega’s La Florida Del Ynca (Lisbon, 1605), 1605. John Carter Brown Library    Location Providence , United States Coordinates 41° 49′ 34.2″ N, 71° 24′ 11.7″ W  …

Southern Slavery Uncovered: legalized white supremacy

This interview with law professor and public historian Evan Gelobter, owner of the YouTube channel Southern Slavery Uncovered, explains how the antebellum South was a slavocracy based on legalized white supremacy. The Southern states were not simply states with slavery, they were slave societies which justified their existence specifically through legalized white supremacy. Media credits …

Is Atlantis hunting racist? No, but…

Is Atlantis hunting racist? Is Graham Hancock racist? Self-described alternative historian Dan Richards of the YouTube channel DeDunking objects to the fact that people who believe Atlantis was a real historical place are often associated with racism. He claims modern Atlantis hunting emerged as a very progressive endeavor, unassociated with colonisation. In this video I …

Pseudo-archaeologist Dan Richards vs real archaeologists on Atlantis

On 30 November 2022, the Society for American Archaeology published an open letter to Netflix objecting to its production of the series Ancient Apocalypse, which exhibited the alternative history views of Graham Hancock. In a video published on 11 December 2023, alternative historian and pseudo-archaeologist Dan Richards of the YouTube channel DeDunking claimed the SAA …