One of the big debates in archaeology is the origin of agriculture. Agriculture marks an important turning point in human history: it sparked a change from nomadic to settled groups, it enabled population growth, and our modern lives depend on it. So it is natural to wonder about the hows… Read more“The Chan Hypothesis for the Origin of Agriculture”
Category: anthropology
Too Much of a Good Thing
The Inca religion is based on Sun worship. The Inca leader (also called “the Inca”) is said to be the son of the Sun. Ironically, only the ruler and certain elites are allowed to carry a parasol to protect them from the Sun’s harmful rays.
Always Thinkin’
I was doing my usual studying thing, reading Life History of the Ache, when I had a crazy idea. Ok, the behavior of an organism is affected by its genes and environment. This interaction, through our evolutionary past, has been acted upon by natural selection: gene-environment interactions that result in… Read more“Always Thinkin’”
Miscellany
It’s hard to imagine that in less than twenty four hours I’ll once again be jetting off to San Diego to visit the family. Here are updates on recent goings on before the San Diego/Comic-Con stuff fills the blog. Over the weekend I did Rock Band’s endless setlist on hard…. Read more“Miscellany”
Diving into the New with Dr. Wadley
MU lost one of its best faculty members last weekend. Dr. Reed Wadley had been fighting cancer for the past few years all the while doing what he could for the department. Dr. Wadley and I arrived at MU in the same semester. As I ran around trying to make… Read more“Diving into the New with Dr. Wadley”
68,000 BC
CNN had a headline that caught my attention: “Humans nearly wiped out 70,000 years ago, study says.” Now that’s news! The gist of the Associated Press article it uses can be summed up by two quotes: Paleontologist Meave Leakey, a Genographic adviser, asked, “Who would have thought that as recently… Read more“68,000 BC”
I’d Like to Be…
Endless Ocean (link warning: creepy music) is one of those non-game games that crop up from time to time to remind people that games aren’t all about shooting and competition. At it’s core, it’s a marine biologist simulator. You dive in the fictional Pacific tropical reef of Manoa Lai and… Read more“I’d Like to Be…”
This Year is Warmer Than the Last (A True C!G!A! Update)
Today was unseasonably warm when I stepped outside to attend to the chickens. The cats all ran out and had a good time. I did not really partake in the outdoor activities though and went back to my basement den. In said hideaway I’ve been getting more things done. I’ve… Read more“This Year is Warmer Than the Last (A True C!G!A! Update)”
Learn Anthropology; Save the World
The latest issue of Shadowpact (#18, page 4) has a weird endorsement of physical anthropology: If physical anthropology teaches me how to fight werewolves, then sign me up! Oh wait, I’m already signed up.
Touring the South Coast
Last weekend the students and I were led on a tour of southern Peru by Lin, who works… wow we just had a small earthquake*. Anyway, he works at the same museum the bioarchaeology students and I work at and he’s helped us to adjust a great deal. While the… Read more“Touring the South Coast”