Book and media reviews from the journal Science, edited by Valerie Thompson.

Valerie Thompson, Editor

Posts tagged with "Anthropology"

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  Andrew Lawler

  Book Anthropology, Archaeology

  PODCAST: Q&A with Andrew Lawler, author of The Secret Token

  26 July, 2018

  Delayed for 3 years by an ongoing war, John White returned to the American colony of Roanoke on 18 August 1590 but found the settlement deserted. The only clue was the word “Croatoan” carved into a fence post. This week on the Science podcast, Andrew Lawler recounts the mystery of the Lost Colony and shares… Read More
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  Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States
  James C. Scott

  Book Anthropology

  Hunters and foragers thrived while early agrarian societies struggled, argues an anthropologist

  1 August, 2017

  When the first domesticated plants and sedentary communities appeared roughly 12,000 years ago, humans had already logged some 190,000 years as hunters and foragers. Yet the standard narrative of human progress begins with relatively recent agrarian societies. Often what we find most worthy of noting in our histories of early societies are irrigation projects, drained… Read More
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  Affluence Without Abundance: The Disappearing World of the Bushmen
  James Suzman

  Book Anthropology

  A community of Kalahari hunter-gatherers struggles to find their way in a changing world

  26 June, 2017

  In 1966, the Chicago-based anthropologist Marshall Sahlins challenged the widely held assumption that hunter-gatherers lived a life of hard work and constant struggle. On the contrary, he argued, Bushmen and other traditional hunter-gatherers are affluent because their needs are easily satisfied. James Suzman’s new book, Affluence Without Abundance, is a well-written narrative and personal refle… Read More
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  Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Re-Created
  Patrick E. McGovern

  Book Anthropology, Archaeology

  Ancient Brews

  6 June, 2017

  Over the course of a long career, Patrick McGovern has become an archaeological celebrity of sorts, collaborating with researchers around the world to analyze humanity’s chemical footprints—most famously, those we leave behind in the pursuit of fermentation. In the introduction to Ancient Brews, McGovern describes our search for a good nip as essentially a biological… Read More
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  Built on Bones: 15,000 Years of Urban Life and Death
  Brenna Hassett

  Podcast Anthropology, Archaeology

  PODCAST: Q&A with archaeologist Brenna Hassett, author of Built on Bones

  25 May, 2017

    From new diseases and physical dangers to subtle changes to our stature, humanity’s shift from hunter-gatherers to city dwellers has brought with it a host of bodily consequences. This week on the Science podcast, archaeologist Brenna Hassett describes what ancient remains and artifacts can reveal about how metropolitan life has wreaked havoc on our… Read More

• Podcast Anthropology, Biology, Futurism

  PODCAST: Q&A with Bill Schutt, author of Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History

  23 February, 2017

  This week on the Science podcast, Jennifer Golbeck explores the taboo topic of cannibalism with zoologist Bill Schutt and considers a provocative treatise on the future of humanity. Read More
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  ¡Cuba!
  Ana Luz Porzecanski and Chris Raxworthy, curators

  Exhibition Anthropology, Biodiversity, Ecology

  An immersive exhibition introduces visitors to Cuba’s rich culture and biodiversity

  4 January, 2017

  The passing of Fidel Castro brought renewed popular attention to Cuba, a nation whose turbulent history continues to spark passionate debate. Unlike its political history, however, the vast ecological and cultural richness that thrives in Cuba is relatively lesser known; so, too, is the challenge of conserving these resources in the wake of climate change. Read More