Anthropology
Tools Offer More Complex, Cooperative Picture of Easter Island Society
Basalt axes from one quarry area indicate cooperation between clans, not warfare over resources as previously hypothesized
A New Genetic Study Suggests Modern Flores Island Pygmies and Ancient Hobbits Are Unrelated
The island dwarfism effect seems to have occurred independently in each population, thousands of years apart
A Jamestown Skeleton is Unearthed, but Only Time—and Science—Will Reveal His True Identity
Jamestown Rediscovery archeologists use new technology to uncover the bones of one of the first English colonists
Rare Footage Shows the Last Surviving Member of an Uncontacted Amazon Tribe
The man appears healthy, but like other indigenous people of Brazil, his way of life is in danger
Study Suggests Neanderthals Sparked Their Own Fire
Hand-axe wear suggests our hominid cousins used flint and pyrite to unleash Prometheus' gift
How Feasting Rituals Help Shape Human Civilization
These transformative practices—and the cooperation they require—are a cornerstone of societies the world over
How Ancient Teeth Reveal the Roots of Humankind
From diet to evolution, prehistoric chompers tell archaeologists a surprising amount about our ancestors
The Clever Way the Easter Island Statues Got Hats
A new analysis of the 13-ton red stone pukao show the carvings were likely rolled up ramps to the leaning statues
Zora Neale Hurston's 'Barracoon' Tells the Story of the Slave Trade's Last Survivor
Published eight decades after it was written, the new book offers a first-hand account of a Middle Passage journey
How to Talk With Evangelicals About Evolution
For two years, researchers from the Smithsonian traveled the country explaining the science of our shared origins
Why Scientists Are Starting to Care About Cultures That Talk to Whales
Arctic people have been communicating with cetaceans for centuries. The rest of the world is finally listening in
To Help Identify Migrants Who Died Along Border, Art Class Reconstructs Their Faces
When DNA analysis and dental exams aren’t possible, facial reconstruction is a last-resort to identifying remains
Striking Photos of the Past and Present of Papua New Guinea
From tribal traditions to urban strife in the island nation
Were Neanderthals the Earliest Cave Artists? New Research in Spain Points to the Possibility
Archaeologists pushed back the date of cave paintings at three sites to 65,000 years ago—20,000 years before the arrival of humans in Europe
The Reckoning
Thirty years ago, an acclaimed series of documentaries introduced the world to an isolated tribe in Papua New Guinea. What happened when the cameras left?
The Archaeology of Wealth Inequality
Researchers trace the income gap back more than 11,000 years
When Scientists "Discover" What Indigenous People Have Known For Centuries
When it supports their claims, Western scientists value what Traditional Knowledge has to offer. If not, they dismiss it
Unknown Language Discovered in Malaysia
About 280 people north of the Malay Peninsula speak the language, which is called Jedek
Genetics Rewrites the History of Early America—And, Maybe, the Field of Archaeology
The genome of an infant from Upward Sun River, Alaska offers tantalizing insight into the story of human migration
The Incredible Linguistic Diversity of Tibet Is Disappearing
Thanks to national schooling and the Internet, many of the plateau’s unique languages are in danger
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