SAPIENS Magazine

Being a “Good Man” in a Time of Climate Catastrophe An anthropologist follows a group of men who work in India’s rickshaw industry and their responses to intensifying flood disasters.

From the archive. An anthropologist follows a group of men who work in India’s rickshaw industry, revealing how their practices of masculinity and mutual aid shape their responses to intensifying flood disasters and political divides. Read more: www.sapiens.org/culture/indi...

Are Insomniacs Overthinking Sleep? Sleep technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated. But is the antidote to insomnia far more ancient?

From the archive.From WiFi-enabled sleep trackers to wearable brain-altering apps, sleep technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated. But is the antidote to insomnia far more ancient? Read more: www.sapiens.org/culture/inso...

A Flower and a Way of Life in Peril Prized—and increasingly rare—bouquets of an enchanting flower from Brazil’s mountainous heartland pit collectors against conservationists.

From the archive. Prized—and increasingly rare—bouquets of an enchanting flower from Brazil’s mountainous heartland pit collectors against conservationists. Read more: www.sapiens.org/culture/a-fl...

Extraordinary Lessons From a Community-Led Excavation An archaeologist examines how community members in Cardiff collaborated with a research team to make important insights into the Bronze Age.

From the archive. An archaeologist examines how community members in Cardiff, Wales, collaborated with a research team to make important insights into the Bronze Age. Read more: www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...

What the Vai Script Reveals About the Evolution of Writing Linguistic anthropologists are digging into evolution of the West African Vai script for insights into human cognition and society.

From the archive. In the 19th century, a man living in present-day Liberia dreamed of the first script for his native Vai language. Today linguistic anthropologists are digging into the script’s evolution. Read more: www.sapiens.org/language/vai...

How Babywearing Went Mainstream Strapping a baby to one’s torso used to be taboo in the West. Now the practice has given rise to a community that stretches around the globe.

From the archive. Strapping a baby to one’s torso used to be taboo in the West. Now the practice has given rise to a community that stretches around the globe. Read more: www.sapiens.org/culture/baby...

The Aztec Antichrist Chronicles Indigenous Resistance and Religious Conversion An anthropologist rediscovered a rare notebook containing plays about the Aztec Antichrist that reveal insights into Indigenous Christianity.

From the archive. "The act of casting Native actors as Christ and Mary, and allowing them to speak in Nahuatl 'Indigenized' the message." Read more: www.sapiens.org/language/azt...

Cultivating Modern Farms Using Ancient Lessons An anthropologist examines what ancient farmers can teach us about adapting to climate change in the face of powerful political influences.

From the archive. An anthropologist examines what past farmers can teach us about adapting to climate change amid—and sometimes against—powerful political influences. Read more: www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...

The Evolution of Comfort Food Why does comfort food feel good? An archaeologist considers the history and biology of what defines a taste of home.

From the archive. An archaeologist considers the history and biology of what defines a taste of home. Read more: www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...

What Orangutans Taught Me About Motherhood An anthropologist reflects on being raised by a single mother—and discovers through primates a secret to how good moms become great moms.

From the archive. After observing great apes in Borneo, an anthropologist reflects on being raised by a single mother—and on how women learn to be good moms. Read more: www.sapiens.org/biology/prim...

How Human Smarts Evolved By counting the number of neurons in brains, one scientist revolutionized our view of why Homo sapiens and primates are so very smart.

From the archive. By counting the number of neurons in brains, one scientist revolutionized our view of why Homo sapiens and nonhuman primates are so much smarter than other animals. Read more: www.sapiens.org/biology/prim...

What Drove Homo Erectus Out of Africa? 'Ubeidiya is at the heart of a debate about Homo erectus migrations, with profound implications for the study of human evolution.

From the archive. Excavations at the site of 'Ubeidiya are at the heart of a debate about Homo erectus migrations, with profound implications for questions of human resilience and adaptability. Read more: www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...

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Thank you to every author, editor, reader, listener, donor, and supporter—for believing in the power of anthropology to illuminate the human experience.

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We are so proud of what we have accomplished. Since 2016, SAPIENS has reached more than 25 million readers worldwide, trained dozens of scholars, earned over $1.2 million in grants, and helped hundreds of anthropologists amplify their research, ideas, and experiences.

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The magazine is a program of the Wenner-Gren Foundation, which recently lost SAPIENS’ publication partner, and is facing unprecedented demands for its resources, in a world that is suffering extreme and layered crises.

Important News about SAPIENS

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THREAD: It’s with deep regret we share the news that SAPIENS will halt publication of new content by the end of this year. We are so proud of everything SAPIENS has achieved and for our role in furthering public anthropology. Wenner-Gren’s letter to our community. wennergren.org/important-ne...

Did Processed Foods Make Us Human? Paleo processing foods - Bill Schindler’s research has led him to champion a diet based on humanity’s history of food preparation.

From the archive. Experimental archaeologist Bill Schindler’s globe-trotting research has led him to champion a diet based on humanity’s long history of inventive food preparation techniques, from nose-to-tail butchery to sourdough bread. Read more: www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...

“Food processing has been a part of human adaptation since deep in the past.”

Read more: www.sapiens.org/biology/huma...

YouTube video by Dr. Smiti Nathan Designing Futures That Engage with the Past

What do we mean when we say “the past,” and how might those definitions shape the futures we imagine? 🎨🏺 💡

🎙️Human-centered designer, Shanice Webb, shares how engaging with the past in different ways can offer surprising clarity when it comes to building what’s next.

youtu.be/BP4ujYRuboQ

😀🔬

The Evolution of Throwing Homo sapiens has a throwing arm that sets it apart. Athletes are helping anthropologists understand this prowess.

From the archive. Homo sapiens has a throwing arm that sets our species apart from all others—now athletes are helping anthropologists understand this prowess. Read more: www.sapiens.org/biology/evol...

“The Demystifying Language Project works to share with teachers and students what we know from our research: ‘standard language’ is not clearer or better; it is simply the language of powerful institutions and people.”

Read more: www.sapiens.org/language/dem...

Can Ancient DNA Support Indigenous Histories? An archaeogeneticist reflects on how scientific research can both reaffirm or undermine Indigenous land ties in Argentina.

We're excited to share our latest translations: "Can Ancient DNA Support Indigenous Histories?" by María Pía Tavella is now available to read in French and Portuguese.

The Macabre and Magical Human-Canine Story Archaeological research reveals how wolves and domestic dogs have been humanity’s predator, prey, and partner.

From the archive. Zooarchaeologists and geneticists are exploring how wolves and domestic dogs have been humanity’s predator, prey, and partner. Read more: www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...

“Community-oriented cultures like the BaYaka get at least one thing right: Parenting should not be learned in isolation or all at once—it is a lifelong process embedded in daily life long before one has a child and long after.”

Read more: lnkd.in/em6haAYB

The Moral Code of Chinese Sex Workers A researcher immersed herself in the "sisterhood" of China’s female sex trade—and came away with an appreciation of its rules of conduct.

From the archive. An anthropologist conducts six months of ethnographic fieldwork, to study the moral lives of female sex workers (xiaojie, or “misses” or “young ladies”) throughout the red-light districts in and around Haikou, China. Read more: www.sapiens.org/culture/chin...

A Tanzanian poet unseats the illusionist tale of the mission museum of the Archabbey of St. Ottilien in Germany.

Read the full poem: www.sapiens.org/culture/an-u...

What Drove Homo Erectus Out of Africa? 'Ubeidiya is at the heart of a debate about Homo erectus migrations, with profound implications for the study of human evolution.

From the archive. Excavations at the site of 'Ubeidiya are at the heart of a debate about Homo erectus migrations, with profound implications for questions of human resilience and adaptability. Read more: www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...

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The Power of the Dictionary Dictionaries are typically viewed as value neutral. But they are just as steeped in culture and prejudice as the rest of us.

From the archive. Dictionaries are typically viewed as being value-neutral. But they are just as steeped in culture and prejudice as the rest of the world—and they have the power to shape what we see as “normal.” Read more: www.sapiens.org/language/dic...