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A photograph looks down a gray gravel road with two yellow lines down its center. The road cuts through a dark forest of tall, green, leafy trees with a single ray of sunshine getting through the forest’s canopy.

Best of SAPIENS 2023

In another year of exceptional challenges and hardships, anthropologists tackled a range of issues and questions about what it means to be human. Here are some of SAPIENS’ best from this year.
From an aerial perspective, a photograph features a large circular garden with green shrubs crisply pruned into arc shapes oriented to form a maze. A gazebo topped with similar greenery sits at the maze’s center.

Best of SAPIENS 2022

In a year of continuing global conflagrations, anthropologists investigated a wide range of pressing and curious questions about humanity’s past, present, and future. Here are the editors’ picks for this year's most compelling contributions.
A black-and-white photo shows swirling winds and a bolt of lightning striking over open fields.

Best of SAPIENS 2021

The SAPIENS editorial team looks back at the year through an anthropological lens—and closes with a roundup of some of our favorite pieces published in the magazine in 2021.
best of sapiens 2020

Best of SAPIENS 2020

In the wildest of years, SAPIENS writers covered a stunning range of stories about human culture, biology, history, and language. The editorial team selected some of their top favorites.

Best of SAPIENS 2019

From more than 100 outstanding articles that we published this year, SAPIENS’ editorial team selected our top picks that gave us insights into everything human seen through the lens of anthropology.

Best of SAPIENS 2018

These are some of the SAPIENS stories that left an indelible memory, haunted us, and/or inspired the editorial team in 2018.

Will the Next Margaret Mead Please Stand Up?

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