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What Is SAPIENS Magazine?

Launched in 2016, SAPIENS magazine brings anthropology to the public through accessible, thought-provoking, and entertaining stories.
A group of people with white tunics and animal pelts on walk up a narrow street. One person holds a flare that gives off a red glow. A person wearing dark clothing photographs the event.

What Do Anthropologists Do?

Anthropologists study humans in all our extraordinary history and diversity. Check out this overview of professional anthropology.
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How to Promote Research on Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool for researchers to share their work and engage an array of audiences. Here are the basics to get started.
Camp Grant Massacre - In 2015, members of the Apache Nation and their allies protested actions by the U.S. Congress that granted parts of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper Mining.

Why the Camp Grant Massacre Matters Today

Vigilantes attacked a peaceful encampment of Apache people in Arizona 150 years ago. Now their descendants are fighting to protect their homeland from a proposed copper mine at Oak Flat.

Why Are Black People’s Remains in Museums?

Two archaeologists consider how the remains of thousands of Black people ended up in U.S. museums and what it would take for these institutions to address the harm they have caused.
Masanori Murakami, who debuted in 1964, was the first Japanese player in Major League Baseball.

How to Pitch: A Guide for Anthropologists

To write for SAPIENS and most popular magazines and newspapers, writers must “pitch” their idea to editors. Here is how the process works.
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Why Write for SAPIENS?

SAPIENS magazine publishes on anthropological research, discoveries, and insights. If you’re an anthropologist, here’s why you might consider contributing your story.
A photo shows a person holding a camera in front of their face to take a photo.

Is It Ever OK to Publish Photographs of Human Remains?

In many cultures, people consider it unethical, insensitive, and harmful to photograph human remains, much less to make such an image viewable to the public. The SAPIENS editorial team explains its philosophy and approach to handling images of human remains.
native american boarding schools

Native American Children’s Historic Forced Assimilation

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the United States government used family separation and schools to try to erase Native American children’s traditional cultures and languages. A newly published archive of photographs visually documents some Indigenous peoples’ struggle for survival.
land acknowledgments

Why Land Acknowledgments Matter

One anthropologist views the public recognition of traditional lands as a way to remember the past while stepping toward the future.
gift wrapping reason

Why Do We Wrap Presents?

Wrapping paper is a striptease that hides and reveals, transforming otherwise ordinary objects into gifts.
To Hopi traditionalists—Hopis who practice traditional culture—the humble one-seed juniper tree has deep cultural meaning.

The Struggle to Protect a Tree at the Heart of Hopi Culture

In the American Southwest, the loss of juniper trees at the hands of mining and development could cost the Hopi a crucial part of their heritage.

Will the Next Margaret Mead Please Stand Up?

The winners of the 2016 SAPIENS-Allegra competition to discover new public anthropologists are announced.