While the magazine has closed, its living archive endures—open to all and preserving the many ideas, voices, and discoveries that deepen our understanding of what it means to be human.
What does the anthropology of magic reveal about how people create and use AI?
The Hidden Color Code in Mimbres PotteryPatterned markings on some Southwestern pots in the U.S. may have been used to symbolize color in black-and-white arts.
Are Colors Universal?How do language, biology, and culture shape an individual’s experience of color? A journalist investigates the anthropological debate about whether color is a human universal.
What Do Monuments Reveal About Their Makers?An archaeologist ponders memorials—from the Monti gate to the Taj Mahal—and finds clues about the reasons people want to be remembered.
How the Samoan Tattoo Survived ColonialismA combination of factors, from geography to group identity, supported the endurance of this traditional body art—even as similar practices were lost in other cultures.
A New Generation Is Reviving Indigenous TattooingPeople in Arctic and Northwest Coast communities are uncovering the therapeutic history of tattoos.
What Google Maps Don’t Show YouThe long history of Native American tribes is nowhere to be found on modern maps. So the Zuni decided it was time to create their own kind of cartography.
An Homage to TeotihuacanOne modern Mexican artist is making souvenirs that shed light on the ancient peoples of this city and continue their aesthetic traditions.
A Radical New Theory About the Origins of ArtArchaeologists are tapping cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology research to figure out how our ancestors began making figurative art.
It’s Official: Neanderthals Created ArtNew evidence from caves in Spain shows that Neanderthals engaged in complex symbolic thought—and were pretty good artists to boot.
