Whitney Duncan

Feb 21, 2024 | sapiens.org | Cindy Huang |Bridget Alex |Mariana Cabral |Whitney Duncan

In 1888, a few decades after the first scientifically named Homo neanderthalensis fossil surfaced, anthropologist and anatomist Hermann Schaaffhausen made a portrait of what that Neanderthal might have looked like in life. Found in Germany’s Neander Valley, the actual fossil was just the top of a skull—a teardrop-shaped dome fronted by big brows—without the facial bones below.

Feb 20, 2024 | sapiens.org | Mariana Cabral |Bridget Alex |Whitney Duncan |Josh Yarden

Sitting on a log, in the ever-present shadow of the Amazon forest, Roseno Wajãpi and I shared pieces of cassava bread and chunks of smoked fish. He told me about the beginning of time. Earth’s crust was recent, still in formation. Stones weren’t yet solid. Creator Hero Janejarã hiked between villages and sat down to rest at some spots. The rocks hardened, preserving both his footsteps and the imprint of his buttocks.

Feb 19, 2024 | sapiens.org | Whitney Duncan |Christine Weeber |Josh Yarden |Michael Haslam

Don’t miss out on anthropology’s insights about our world. A poet-anthropologist who has been an expert witness in asylum proceedings for Mexican nationals resists dehumanizing legal and political language to make space for the humanity of asylum-seekers.