Archaeologist Sarah Kurnick illustrates why some misconceptions about humanity’s past perpetuate racist and xenophobic notions of history and culture. This talk was filmed at TEDxMileHigh. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED's mission of ideas worth spreading. To learn more about TEDxSHORTS, the TEDx program, or give feedback on this episode, please visit http://go.ted.com/tedxshorts.