Graeber and Wengrow's 'The Dawn of Everything' Challenges Linear Human History

In 'The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity,' released in 2021, anthropologist David Graeber and archaeologist David Wengrow contest Eurocentric ideas of progress. They explore 17th-century interactions, including discussions between Wendat orator Kandiaronk and Baron de Lahontan, which shaped Enlightenment ideology. The authors critique thinkers like Jared Diamond, Yuval Noah Harari, and Steven Pinker, disputing their linear interpretations of civilization. They provide 30,000 years of archaeological findings illustrating how early societies, such as Indigenous Amazonians and Teotihuacan, engaged in social innovation. Graeber, who passed away at 59, and Wengrow highlight historical freedoms, arguing that imperial conquests have masked humanity's autonomy. This work, published by Allen Lane, was meant to be the first of four volumes.