Anthropology
66 articles-
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. -
The Beloved Mesolithic Girl
As a new mother, an anthropologist makes a moving discovery at an infant’s burial site. -
What Industrial Societies Get Wrong About Childhood
Age-based classes are not the only way to learn—and may not be the most effective. -
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 A productive hunt is a violent act—success requiring as it does the dismemberment of a living creature. Yet, to focus alone on the concluding moment, the bloody […]
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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
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Galactic Settlement and the Fermi Paradox
The results of galactic colonization models are a mixed bag for SETI optimists.
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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. -
Why Did Witch Hunts Go Viral?
If it is in fact accurate to think of witch trial beliefs as viruses, maybe it would be helpful to study their spread the way scientists study the spread of viruses: using an epidemiological model.“The Witch, No. 1” (1892) by Joseph E. Baker / Wikicommons It’s hard to make sense of witch hunts. Many people […] -
The Ancient Rites That Gave Birth to Religion
Sacred beliefs likely arose out of prehistoric bonding and rituals. -
The Worth of an Angry God
How supernatural beliefs allowed societies to bond and spread.
