Following up on my post about the Dmanisi fossil materials from yesterday, I should point out that yesterday was a significant political day for the country of Georgia. Mikheil Sakashvili, the Georgian president since a largely non-violent political protest in 2003, conceded defeat in parliamentary elections. The result will hopefully be the first peaceful, democratic transition of power in the country’s modern history.
Embedded within questions of human evolutionary past, it is easy to forget or lose sight of the fact that our research takes place within modern political contexts. Our ability to carry out research safely and effectively depend on local political and social institutions. Of course, the lives of collaborators, colleagues and friends are also directly impacted by such events on a daily basis.
I am not in a position to comment on contemporary Georgian politics, but here is a vote for peace and stability.
