Botten van een oeros (vermoedelijk) before 1869

This is a photograph of the bones of an aurochs, or a type of wild cattle, by an anonymous photographer. The image is stark, set against a black background which accentuates the clinical nature of paleontology. The study of bones and fossils became a scientific endeavor in the 18th and 19th centuries, a time when Western science was deeply implicated in colonial projects. Bones, like those of the aurochs here, became objects of study, categorized and understood within a scientific framework that often sidelined indigenous knowledges. This image serves as a reminder of how scientific practices can shape our understanding of history and of the natural world. It prompts us to consider the politics inherent in the act of studying and classifying nature and to be aware of the human narratives behind our construction of natural history.