Tag: Anthropology
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Johann Joachim Winckelmann: Father of art history
Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717–1768) was an art historian who revolutionized how we understand, categorize, and appreciate ancient art. His aesthetic theories on ancient Greek profoundly influenced European culture, literature, and philosophy. Born in Stendal, Brandenburg, he grew up in poverty as a thin, pale, and frequently ill child, perhaps reflecting the chronic malnutrition and repeated…
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William Flinders Petrie: Champion of scientific archaeology
Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) brought revolutionary change to the study of antiquity by introducing strict excavation protocols and detailed documentation practices. He started his career at the age of nineteen by surveying Stonehenge and producing its first reliable site plan. The Egypt Exploration Fund employed him in 1880 to conduct excavations at Tanis, Naukratis, and Amarna. Through his excavations, Petrie discovered…
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Flavio Biondo, papal secretary and humanist scholar
Throughout much of the fifteenth century, Flavio Biondo (1392–1463) thrived as a humanist scholar, historian, and antiquarian, establishing the foundations of archaeological and geographical historical research. Born in Forlì, Romagna, in 1392, he began his studies as a notary before moving to Rome in 1433. There he served as papal secretary to Eugene IV (1444) and later under Nicholas V, Callixtus III, and Pius II. When he…
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Sir Arthur Evans: Archaeology visionary
Sir Arthur Evans (1851–1941) achieved lasting fame by discovering the Minoan civilization in Crete. Through his systematic Knossos excavations and his later interpretations, he revolutionized our knowledge about European prehistory and societal evolution. Born 1851, in Nash Mills, Hertfordshire, he studied modern history at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he developed an interest in ancient civilizations. After finishing his education, he spent years traveling throughout the Balkans while…
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Robert Braidwood’s “Did Man Once Live by Beer Alone?”
In his 1953 essay “Did Man Once Live by Beer Alone?”, archaeologist Robert J. Braidwood raised a provocative question that hinted at deeper anthropological and historical truths about the origins of agriculture. Though framed with a certain tongue-in-cheek humor, the piece explored a serious and fascinating idea: that the cultivation of cereal grains might have…
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Cultural taboos, Marvin Harris, and The Abominable Pig
Zachary SorensenChicago, Illinois, United States Many ancient cultural traditions persist through religious practice to this day. They are particularly evident in the taboos surrounding food. In The Sacred Cow and the Abominable Pig, anthropologist Marvin Harris explores the food taboos of the ancient world, particularly focusing on the prohibition of pork in Judaism and Islam.…
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Louis Leakey: Pioneering the study of human evolution in Africa
Zachary SorensenChicago, Illinois, United States Louis Seymour Bazet Leakey was a paleoanthropologist and archaeologist renowned for his fieldwork in East Africa. His career spanned several decades, and he made important contributions to our understanding of human origins. His research dramatically shaped the way the world views the history of humanity. Born in Kenya to British…
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Psychoactive substances and mermaid sightings at sea
Martine MussiesMaastricht, Netherlands Since the earliest long-term sea voyages, from the Age of Exploration to the eighteenth century, sailors have been known to report seeing mermaids—enigmatic creatures with human-like upper bodies and fish-like tails. These accounts have long been a subject of fascination and speculation. Could these sightings have been influenced by the use of…
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Paleopharmaceuticals from fossil amber
José de la FuenteCiudad Real, Spain Amber is fossilized plant resin commonly used for jewelry, decoration, and in the study of fossil inclusions.1,2 The largest sources of amber are found in Myanmar (formerly Burma; Burmite, Cretaceous, ca. 99 million years ago [mya]) and the area around the Baltic Sea (Eocene, ca. 34–56 mya). Fossil amber…