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Anthropology
79 articles-
This Inca Building was the Original Boom Box
A 600-year-old temple was likely designed to amplify drum beats and music -
How Scavenging Made Us Human
Our early ancestors were more like vultures than we might like to think -
How the Statues of Easter Island Walked Into Place
The iconic heads hewn from volcanic rock may have been wobbled into place by the Rapa Nui people who created them -
These Aren’t Your Pharoah’s Mummies
Other cultures across Asia were preserving their dead for millennia before the Egyptians -
Long Lives Helped Early Humans Thrive
Michael Gurven on the 3 greatest revelations he had while writing Seven Decades: How We Evolved to Live Longer -
Marking Time in a Changing World
Climate change is throwing traditional calendars into disarray -
How Indigenous Knowledge Could Save Fishing
We need both modern data and the wisdom of the First Nations to preserve aquatic ecosystems -
This Mummy’s Tattoos Are Better Than Yours
Lasers reveal hidden details of ancient body ink -
How Big Is Your Family?
Living with a Papua New Guinea tribe in the ’80s presented this anthropologist with a question for today. -
An Archaeological Reckoning
Jennifer Raff is on a mission to rewrite the history of human origins in the Americas.
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Excavating a Language at the End of the World
How an old dictionary is revealing new perspectives on an Indigenous culture.
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The Lion Who Would Save the World
An anthropologist shows how bonding with another species could help humans come together.
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A New Look at One of the Oldest Weapons
What a 300,000-year-old throwing stick reveals about our near-human ancestors.
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What Spider Games Say About Arachnophobia
Many people around the world fear spiders. But in the Philippines, the tradition of spider wrestling often brings people and arachnids in close proximity.
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What Intense Rituals Signal to Your Brain
Risky and stressful ceremonies help crystallize who we are—and heal us, too.
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The Real Magic of Rituals
We might call them superstitions or spells, but they genuinely drum anxiety away. -
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
An anthropologist schooled in spiritual healing offers wisdom for troubled times. -
A Viral Twitter Thread Reawakens the Dark History of Anthropology
I’m an anthropologist and rarely have I seen such a harmful mix of inaccuracies and stereotypes about Indigenous people. -
Love Is Biological Bribery
Evolution uses all its tricks to make sure we procreate. But love in humans is a many-splendored thing. -
The Beloved Mesolithic Girl
As a new mother, an anthropologist makes a moving discovery at an infant’s burial site.