What Egyptian Pharaohs Can Tell Us About Modern Tyrants

A new book connects the dots between ancient Egyptian kings’ power plays, patriarchy, and the current rise of authoritarianism around the world.

Raiding Graves—Not to Rob but to Remember

Two archaeologists offer surprising new data suggesting people in medieval Europe took items from graves as heirlooms.

How Filipino Sailors—and Coconuts—Helped Create Mexico’s National Drink

Most people see tequila and mezcal as quintessentially Mexican spirits—but recent research has uncovered their unlikely connection with the Philippines.

A Hidden Figure in North American Archaeology

A Black cowboy named George McJunkin, who died 100 years ago, found a site that would transform scientific views about the deep history of Native Americans in North America.

Guided by the Past

Hosts Dr. Ora Marek-Martinez and Yoli Ngandali share how they found their way to archaeology and what it means to be Black and Indigenous archaeologists. From defying the status quo in a classroom to diving through sunken ships, Ora and Yoli bring listeners on a journey of reclaiming stories and reimagining history.

What a Shipwreck’s Tree Rings Reveal

In 1629, the Batavia, a ship of the Dutch East India Company, met disaster off the coast of Australia. A new analysis of the shipwreck’s tree rings uncovers how such vessels were built to advance European colonialism.

The Last Wild Lions of Europe

Mounting archaeological evidence is revealing that modern lions may have roamed free in Southeastern Europe—overturning long-held assumptions about art and mythology in the process.

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.

You Won’t Survive the Apocalypse Alone

In times of societal collapse—including pandemics—past societies persevered not by running away but by banding together.

Head of a Maiden

A poet-anthropologist considers the life of a looted fourth-century B.C. Etruscan maiden.