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Pseudoarchaeology, conspiracy theories that ancient civilizations were founded by aliens or the denizens of Atlantis, are dangerous.

Featured Archived Podcast Seasons Episodes Training Contents Contents Table of contents Introduction 0 Why Write for the Public? 1 What to Expect, from Pitch to Publication 2 How to Write a Pitch 3 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 1: Structure 4 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 2: Style 5 Navigating Ethics and Reducing Harms 6 Habits of Thriving Public Anthropologists 7 Cultivating the Craft of Writing 8 Table of contents Select Introduction 0 Why Write for the Public? 1 What to Expect, from Pitch to Publication 2 How to Write a Pitch 3 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 1: Structure 4 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 2: Style 5 Navigating Ethics and Reducing Harms 6 Habits of Thriving Public Anthropologists 7 Cultivating the Craft of Writing 8 Announcement After ten years of exploring humanity in all its diversity, SAPIENS has concluded its publishing chapter. While the magazine has closed, its living archive endures—open to all and preserving the many ideas, voices, and discoveries that deepen our understanding of what it means to be human. essay / Letters Best of SAPIENS 2025 In SAPIENS’ final year of publishing new stories, the magazine honors 10 standout contributions that carried anthropology into the hearts and minds of readers worldwide. essay / Stranger Lands Unearthing What Archaeologists Can and Cannot Know Julia Granato An archaeologist studying 1,000-year-old dog burials reflects on the need for imagination in archaeology. poem / Wayfinding Listening Against the Threshold of Pain Uzma Falak SAPIENS’ 2025 poet-in-residence situates her listening in Kashmir and Germany during and after her fieldwork, contextualizing her contributions to SAPIENS this year. essay / Identities The Tomb That Told of a Women’s Kingdom Meixu Ye An archaeologist unspools the story of a female leader buried over 1,000 years ago on the Tibetan Plateau. essay / Identities In Malaysia, Muslim Trans Women Find Their Own Paths Gréta Tímea Biró An anthropologist traces how transgender women navigate state-sponsored religious programs aimed at “rehabilitating” LGBTQ+ Muslims. essay / Phenomenon In Japan, the Philosophical Stance Against Having Children Jack Jiang An anthropologist delves beyond simplistic portrayals of the anti-natalist movement to understand what motivates its adherents. essay / Unearthed Do Africa’s Mass Animal Migrations Extend Into Deep Time? Alex Bertacchi Isotopes in fossil teeth suggest ancient animals traveled less than once thought—making researchers rethink past human societies and future conservation. poem / Reflections Padi Nyawa Urang Ara Djati A poet and aspiring anthropologist in Indonesia reflects on the values reflected in rice cultivation in a traditional village in Lebak, Banten, Indonesia. essay / In Flux Connections and Conflicts With Seals in a Scottish Archipelago Camellia Biswas An environmental anthropologist investigates deep-time, mythical, and contemporary relations between seals and Orkney Islanders. poem / Borderlands Sounding the Border Uzma Falak An anthropologist-poet listens to echoes of laughter and other sounds of crossings in Kashmir. essay / Phenomenon How Bird’s Nests Become Markers of Vitality and Status Gideon Lasco An anthropologist explores how nests made from the saliva of swiftlets—long valued within some Asian medicinal and culinary traditions—have reached a growing global market. essay / Origins 90 Years Since Its Discovery, a Stone Age Human Still Holds Lessons Emma Bird A paleoanthropologist reflects on England’s oldest human cranium—and what its changing interpretations say about science. essay / In Flux Following the Life of an Abandoned Bull in Nepal Xena White A visual anthropologist explores how divine cattle collide with urban realities in Kathmandu, revealing contradictions between ancient values and contemporary lifeways. essay / Standpoints Black, Pregnant, and Always Vigilant Samara Linton A former National Health Service doctor and multidisciplinary scholar explores how Black women in the U.K. manage reproductive risks and anxieties. essay / Field Notes The Sacred Heartbeat at Houston Pride Syd González An anthropologist participates in the Houston Pride Parade, offering dance, music, and prayer with others to counter intensifying oppression faced by queer and Latine communities. essay / Reflections The Politics of Mourning After Itaewon Yeon Jung Yu, Jiho Cha, and Young Su Park After the deadly 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, South Korea faced a failure of prevention—and mourning. A group of anthropologists explores how grief was managed, marginalized, and ultimately erased, raising questions about who we remember and why. poem / Standpoints Dreamscapes of Refusal: A Chorus Uzma Falak SAPIENS poet-in-residence for 2025 listens to a chorus of dreams in her field recordings from Kashmir. op-ed / Reflections The Cost of Cutting Anthropology Out of U.S. National Parks Ellyn DeMuynck A former National Park Service anthropologist reflects on the vital role of cultural ...

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