Anthropology 365

APRIL 23, 2025

The book dismantles the idea that genetic similarity can explain what makes us humanor that genes can do the cultural and historical work of explaining behavior, intelligence, or social life. Facts dont float above culture; theyre produced within it. He was asking anthropologists to stop pretending that science speaks for itself.

Anthropology 98

Anthropology Humanities Cultures History 98

Anthropology.net

APRIL 14, 2025

A sweeping archaeological analysis 1 led by Gary Feinman of the Field Museum of Natural History offers a strikingly different view. “The idea that big populations or new technologies automatically lead to widening inequality simply doesn’t hold up in the archaeological record.” But what if that assumption is wrong?

Humanities 57

Humanities Archaeology Economics Museum 57

Anthropology.net

MARCH 26, 2025

Archaeology often deals with what remains—the bones, the stone tools, the charred remnants of ancient hearths. These stone grinding surfaces, found alongside rock art panels and other cultural features, are yielding the first direct evidence of plant processing in this landscape. A., & Pavlik, B. link] Herzog, N.

Archaeology 69

Archaeology Humanities Research History 69

Anthropology.net

APRIL 15, 2025

Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 1 , the study draws on data from over 47,000 houses spanning nearly 3,000 archaeological sites and 10,000 years of human history. It leverages a globally compiled dataset unprecedented in archaeological scope, allowing comparisons across regions, timespans, and social structures.

Humanities 52

Humanities Archaeology Economics History 52

Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

But was its use during the Upper Paleolithic purely practical, or did it hold deeper cultural significance? The research, published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 1 , presents compelling micro-archaeological evidence that fire was not just a survival tool but a defining cultural trait of the Gravettian tradition.

Archaeology 52

Archaeology Anthropology Group Identity Cultures 52

Anthropology.net

MARCH 13, 2025

A new genetic and archaeological study 1 has revealed that leopard cats ( Prionailurus bengalensis ), small wild felines native to East Asia, lived alongside people in China’s early agrarian societies for at least 3,500 years—only to disappear from human settlements centuries before the arrival of domestic cats via the Silk Road.

Archaeology 59

Archaeology Humanities Museum Geography 59

Anthropology.net

APRIL 16, 2025

A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers 1 one of the most detailed archaeological analyses to date of the roots of economic inequality. Despite their size, archaeological evidence suggests relatively even distribution of house sizes and public investment in civic infrastructure. "We

Archaeology 52

Archaeology Civics Economics Government 52

Anthropology.net

OCTOBER 8, 2024

These findings offer a new perspective on human population stability and cultural evolution in southern Africa. The Oakhurst site, which dates back over 12,000 years, provides a unique opportunity to explore southern Africa's genetic and cultural history. Oakhurst rock shelter, original excavation by Goodwin 1932-1935.

Heritage 97

Heritage Ancestry Archaeology Artifacts 97

Anthropology News

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

For six weeks, we spent 40 percent of our time at the American Anthropological Association (AAA) office and 60 percent of our time at partner institutions: the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (CFCH) and the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC).

Anthropology 52

Anthropology Heritage Museum Artifacts 52

Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

“Cannibalism was an integral practice within the cultural systems of these Magdalenian groups,” the authors write. “The presence of cultural modifications may be related in more cases than expected to the consumption of the bodies, in other words, to human cannibalism.” DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.06.003

Cultures 93

Cultures Controversial Topics Archaeology Anthropology 93

Anthropology.net

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

Early Neolithic farmers, known for their distinct Linear Pottery Culture (Linearbandkeramik, or LBK), expanded rapidly across the region. Map of the LBK culture and the studied sites. The Violent Collapse of the LBK Culture By 5000 BCE, the Linear Pottery Culture began to decline, marked by episodes of violence and social upheaval.

Archaeology 98

Archaeology Cultures Economics Humanities 98

Anthropology.net

DECEMBER 4, 2024

A recent study, published in the European Journal of Archaeology 1 , suggests these plaques may represent one of humanity's earliest attempts at recording genealogy—a non-verbal precursor to modern ancestry documentation. Journal : European Journal of Archaeology , 2004. Journal : Cambridge Archaeological Journal , 2009.

Archaeology 97

Archaeology Artifacts Ancestry Anthropology 97

Anthropology.net

MARCH 11, 2025

Exposed section of archaeological sediments dated to to 110 thousand years ago at Tinshemet cave A new study, published in Nature Human Behaviour 1 , brings fresh insight into this question. For decades, researchers have debated the nature of their interactions. Did they coexist peacefully, exchanging ideas and technologies?

Humanities 60

Humanities Ancestry Archaeology Cultures 60

Anthropology.net

MAY 8, 2025

The shift in tools may have contributed to a cultural shift in who did the hunting. It’s about tracing the evolution of human cooperation, labor, and culture. Recent archaeological research, including that at Wilamaya Patjxa, helps reframe the way we think about the past. Related Research: Geller, P. Woman the Gatherer.

Archaeology 92

Archaeology Anthropology Humanities Cultures 92

Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 13, 2025

Or were they deliberately placed in the river as part of cultural or religious practices? Archaeological sites across Britain and the Continent have shown that human bodies—sometimes whole, sometimes disarticulated—were deliberately placed in watery locations, possibly as offerings or part of funerary customs.

Humanities 72

Humanities Archaeology Museum History 72

Society for Classical Studies

OCTOBER 11, 2024

In death, these women continue the work they performed while living – developing, transmitting, and embodying new ways of being within the shifting cultural landscapes and intersectional power imbalances of ancient colonies.

Archaeology 52

Archaeology Archiving Cultures History 52

Anthropology.net

DECEMBER 5, 2024

Cave art has long been a touchstone for understanding the cognitive and cultural worlds of ancient humans. Their simplicity belies their profound significance as one of the earliest forms of human visual culture. Journal : Quaternary International , 2017. Journal : Journal of Archaeological Science , 2019. Hoffmann, D.

Archaeology 119

Archaeology Heritage Humanities Cultures 119