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83 articles-
Archaeologists Uncover Lost Opioid Tradition in Ancient Egypt
Chemical traces in a royal vase suggest the narcotic may have been a routine part of life -
Was This Mysterious Mountain Feature an Incan Tax Document?
Thousands of holes dot a mountain in Peru—they might have been used by the Inca to tally tributes -
Neanderthals: Do a Little Art and Take a Stroll on the Beach
Two recent discoveries about the extinct human species refine our understanding of our evolutionary kin -
Have We Learned King Tut’s Lessons?
Just over a century ago today, British archaeologists discovered the entrance to the Ancient Egyptian monarch’s tomb … eventually scattering its treasures far and wide -
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
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How Indigenous Knowledge Could Save Fishing
We need both modern data and the wisdom of the First Nations to preserve aquatic ecosystems
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How Big Is Your Family?
Living with a Papua New Guinea tribe in the ’80s presented this anthropologist with a question for today.
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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. -
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.