The populations of the great apes were once nearly equal. Now, one great ape species—Homo sapiens—outnumbers the rest by almost 8 billion. How did we do it?
Rethinking Easter Island’s Historic “Collapse”Controversial new archaeological research casts doubt on a classic theory of this famous island’s societal collapse.
Unearthing the True Toll of the Tulsa Race MassacreWith the 99th anniversary at hand, a community works with archaeologists to answer longstanding questions about a brutal tragedy.
Why Capitalize “Indigenous”?The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style do not capitalize the term Indigenous when it is used to refer to people. But SAPIENS does. The editorial team explains why.
Are Pandemics Good for the Environment?An anthropologist looks at past disease outbreaks to consider how the COVID-19 crisis may—or may not—benefit the environment.
How Kings Created Angkor Wat—Then Lost ItNew archaeological research reveals that leaders centralized agriculture in the famous city shortly before its decline.
Confronting the Colonial Legacies of Museum CollectionsThe Humboldt Forum, a new exhibition venue in Berlin, has raised questions about museum restitution and the importance of researching objects’ provenance.
The Enduring Mystery of the Human-Horse StoryNew archaeological research sheds light on early horse domestication.
The UNESCO Site That Never WasIn Turkey, the Ilisu Dam’s flooding of the ancient town of Hasankeyf offers a lesson in how societies choose the sites they preserve or destroy.
Venice’s Black Death and the Dawn of QuarantineArchaeological research is unearthing Venice’s quarantine history to illuminate how the Italian city created a vast public health response 700 years ago and helped lay the modern foundation for coping with pandemics.
