Anthropology

Cannibalism does happen in the modern world, and not only amongst isolated tribes. From religious sects and killers to the jungles of New Guinea, there are plenty of individuals who've tasted long pig.

The real-life practice that took over 1,000 days to complete

The Aztec Ruins National Monument is a protected area in northwestern New Mexico, United States, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monument encompasses 318 acres and contains several ancient Pueblo structures, including the Great House, with over 400 rooms. This article will explain more.

Learn about the meaning of 172 religious symbols from 42 religions from every historical era and continent of the world.

Learn about the inseparable history of religion and art, and discover how their evolutionary functions connect them, with illustrative examples of beautiful and sacred art.

The Kikuyu believed in one God, Ngai, also known as Mwenenyaga. Their religion was not separate from the ordinary lives of the people.

Read on to learn all about seven of the world's most unusual burial practices, including Viking ship burials and Tibetan self-mummifying.

A land of over 300 islands, only 100 of which are inhabited, Fiji is a place of beauty and adventure. Here are five facts about this magnificent archipelago.

The Guna are native people who live in Panama and Colombia and are at risk of losing their land to rising sea levels.

The Maasai are instantly recognisable for their iconic red garments and decorative jewellery. They have preserved these ancient traditions for generations.

Native American crafts are part of a tradition dating back hundreds of years and contain intricate storytelling about America's indigenous peoples.

This article discusses the traditional rites carried out during the funeral of a Titled man in Awkuzu town, Anambra State.

This article contains a brief summary of the original traditional marriage rites of the Awkuzu people in Anambra State, Nigeria. Sadly, some of these traditions are no longer observed by the current generation.

The delectable Cornish pasty has a long history. Did you know that there are rules that must be obeyed to ensure that a pasty bearing the description of Cornish is worthy of the name?

Many Hindus go to the city of Varanasi in the belief that dying there will release them from rebirth and death so they can achieve salvation.

Described in "The Silva Gadelicia", there is an obscure musical instrument favoured by the Aos Sí and master musicians of Ireland's past. With various descriptions, what actually was it? In this article, I attempt to find out.

A lost tribe was discovered in 1971 living deep in a Philippine rainforest, and the story became an international sensation.

Called les sapeurs, African men dress in extravagant outfits while living in poverty.

The traditional ruler of the Igbo people of Nigeria may bestow chieftaincy titles on deserving community members.

Life in rural Honduras is hard. The people are poor by monetary standards, but they accept their lot stoically as the traditional way of life handed down to them from many past generations.

Is it possible to give an accurate reading of someone’s personality by studying their handwriting?

This interview was done in 2015, when I visited Felix Padel, famous anthropologist and great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin, in Odisha.

Death can be a celebration of life or a means to help the soul pass. Everyone has their own way of dealing with grief. This article explores how cultures around the world handle death.

One day after my wife and I purchased a new SUV in Thailand, we decided to get it blessed by a Buddhist monk. In this article, I explain why the vehicle was blessed and then describe the interesting ritual involved.

Japan's association with the land and its peasant classes has been an element which has defined Japanese identity, but it was constructed rather than being organic to Japan.

In August 2014, our home in Thailand was blessed by nine Buddhist monks. After examining why homes are blessed, this article describes the ceremony conducted in the presence of family and friends.

Many Native Hawaiians don't want tourists. Though U.S. citizens may consider Hawaii a typical state, Hawaiians consider their land to be an occupied territory.

Though gender roles are clearly defined, in Zuni culture, gender is not tightly bound to biological sex. Zuni sacred history promotes a cultural role for people of a third "middle" gender.

Anglo-Indians are a community that is fast dying out. They were never a large community, but they made an impact on recent popular culture that is massively disproportionate to their small number.

This article will look at some Filipino New Year's Eve traditions and superstitions to welcome the good fortune the new year brings.

Krampus has risen dramatically in popularity in the United States over recent years. But why has this happened now?

Who wants high-tech instruments, algorithms, and forecast models when all you need to know is that a plentiful crop of pine cones means a harsh winter is coming? Or not.

For a fee, some people agreed to assume the transgressions of the dead in the belief this would ease their passage into heaven.

Learn about the magical and wondrous folktales of Scottish castles, including Castle Lore, Dunvegan Castle, Duntulm Castle, Glamis Castle, and Columba's Chapel at Iona.

A Filipino burial is very unique. It consists of many religious and non-religious practices, as well as some superstitious beliefs. Following is how we buried my father and arranged his funeral.

Handfasting is common practice in Neo-Pagan circles. Many believe this practice dates back to the pagan Celts, but does it really?

The British Celts have given us the Mabinogion and Arthurian Legends. Is it possible that constellation lore is embedded within them?

References to a deity that resembles Cronos can be found in Irish texts. Is it possible that this Greek being may have taken up residence in Ireland in the distant past?

The Celts were renowned for their military prowess and fearlessness in battle, which has been attributed to their belief in reincarnation. Do myths and legends preserve and detail this belief?

The legends of this underworld testify to its otherness and yet also impart a distinctive British flair. Learn about Annwn from British and Welsh mythology.

There is scholarly debate on whether or not European shamanism was present throughout world history. Prehistoric shamanism lingered on in the European folk tradition but is often overlooked.

You may have heard of Big Foot or Chupacabras. But El Duende, the "elf-like creature" in the forest, is gaining notoriety. So who is this mysterious cryptid, and is it good or evil?

Not much is known about the mythical Hazzi, but what exists about the mountain god may serve as a key to understanding early civilizations and the migration between continents.

Our mothers always told us that breakfast was the most important meal of the day; our mothers, as usual, were right. In this article, find out what makes up a typical British breakfast.

Types of food and their preparations are central to nearly every society; etiquette sometimes creates confusion in cross-cultural dealings.

Many people know of the Jersey Devil, but not many people know of the man, Daniel Leeds, from whom the legend of the Leeds Devil likely originated.

This article puts forth a theoretical framework with which to evaluate the connection between the environment and homelessness.

The lore, folk tales, and myths of ale and beer for the Germanic peoples: Germans, Norse, Anglo-Saxons, and the English.

This article shares the lore and tales of mead, honey, and wassailing in the Germanic cultures of the Germans, Norse, Anglo-Saxons, and English.

This article shares the lore of mead, honey, and bees in the ancient insular Celtic lands.