Anthropology
69 articles-
7 Famous Fossil Hoaxes
How scientists over history excavated the fakes. -
Excavating a Language at the End of the World
How an old dictionary is revealing new perspectives on an Indigenous culture. -
The Lion Who Would Save the World
An anthropologist shows how bonding with another species could help humans come together. -
A New Look at One of the Oldest Weapons
What a 300,000-year-old throwing stick reveals about our near-human ancestors. -
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. -
What Intense Rituals Signal to Your Brain
Risky and stressful ceremonies help crystallize who we are—and heal us, too. -
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.
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The Beloved Mesolithic Girl
As a new mother, an anthropologist makes a moving discovery at an infant’s burial site.
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What Industrial Societies Get Wrong About Childhood
Age-based classes are not the only way to learn—and may not be the most effective.
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Why a Universal Society Is Unattainable
Our minds evolved in an Us-vs-Them universe of our own making.
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The Psychic Toll of Severing the Hunter-Prey Relationship
The emotional connection between hunter and hunted raises important questions about what happens when an animal species disappears—what is the human response to such ill-fate?Wellcome Images / Wikicommons Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . A productive hunt is a violent act—success requiring as it does the dismemberment of a […]
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An Ancient Site with Human Skulls on Display
Where our ancestors began to elevate themselves above nature.
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Gender Is What You Make of It
Margaret Mead, Ruth Benedict, and the relationship that changed social science.
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How We Learned to Love Neanderthals…and a Lot of Other Hominids, Too
Genetic analysis reveals a complex tale of migrations and cross-species trysts in our human past -
Why Doesn’t Everybody Have Dark Skin Today?
Questions and answers about the science of skin color. -
Galactic Settlement and the Fermi Paradox
The results of galactic colonization models are a mixed bag for SETI optimists. -
The Problem with the Frozen Poop Knife Study
When, some weeks ago, I was first contacted by an online scientific publication asking me to review a submission on the subject of “shit knives”, I initially thought it was a hoax or some kind of practical joke. I had in mind the deliberately nonsensical papers written by Peter Boghossian, Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay […] -
Why Symbols Aren’t Forever
The removal of cultural emblems is not the erasure of history but part of it.