Reconstructions

We don't know what the past looked like. We can guess - we can even make pretty good guesses - but we can never be 100% right. Every drawing you see of a hill fort or a Neanderthal or a reconstructed pot fragment is a something made by a modern artist and, intentionally or unintentionally, the present seeps into the past. Artists and researchers are still human, after all. So whenever you see a reconstruction, its important to take a moment to reflect: what is the purpose of this image? What are the assumptions? How has a modern perspective affected this image? Where might the artist have gotten it wrong? What do I think they've gotten right?