In the movie The God's Must Be Crazy N!xau makes a hand-to-shoulder gesture by way of greeting.
Do they really greet each other that way?
Is there any literature describing this gesture?

My findings so far:

THE DAY I MET THE SAN PEOPLE: Documentary 2018 HD - YouTube
[Hand-to-shoulder gesture]
https://youtu.be/VFxe0I-a6lU?si=5c5t13743r-wFYVa&t=41

Doan 2 The God Must Be Crazy II Greeting adaptation
[Hand-to-shoulder gesture]
https://youtu.be/WOTq9KSkKNI?feature=shared&t=24

Bushman's Secret - The Khoisan and the Secret of Hoodia
[Regular handshake]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyTauvUDzXs&t=2366

In fact, the oldest of the old Basutos once told me one could not do better  
than use the Bushman’s own greeting, raising one’s open right hand high above  
the head, and calling out in a loud voice: ‘Tshjamm: Good day! I saw you  
looming up afar and I am dying of hunger.’ Europeans so often use a diminutive  
for that which they want to endear. But with the Bushman this mechanism is reversed.  
[Also popular: “Good day! I was dead but now that I have seen you I live again!”]

Van der Post, L. (1977). The Lost World of the Kalahari. Harcourt Brace & Company (A Harvest Book).

Similarly, in the mid-1850s Missionary George Thompson observed different  
groups in Sierra Leone employing elaborate handshakes: “if long separated, they  
put their hands on each other’s shoulders, draw them down each other’s arms,  
and rub the hands together, always closing off with a very expressive snap of  
the finger.”

Diasporic Salutations and the West African Origins of the ‘Dap’ - AAIHS
https://www.aaihs.org/diasporic-salutations-and-the-west-african-origins-of-the-dap/

I thought there must have been at least a few pygmies who left the forest and settled in a town or city but according to chat gpt they haven't. I know most will prefer to carry on living the way they live but I thought at least some would have left the forest.

Hello!

I hope I am in the right place to ask this question. I just want to say up front that I'm not prejudiced about diversity and I wouldn't want this topic to go in the wrong direction.

I have several hobbies, and one of them is collecting old banknotes. I am a member of several groups for selling, buying and exchanging old banknotes and have made some good friends. One of those friends is Mark from Germany. A few days ago there was a big argument between him and an Englishman. The dispute was about the sale of a banknote, the discussion escalated into insults at a higher level. That collector from England started insulting my friend, telling him that he was black along with other not so nice epithets that I would not like to say here, because I don't think they are appropriate, and it is not the very core of the topic. That collector from England took the discussion of collecting to a discussion of race and who is white and who is not. Other members of the groups joined in the discussion, and chaos ensued with "scientific" and "historical" facts being thrown around. They quoted Benjamin Franklin who once called the Germans stupid and swarthy. I didn't participate in the argument, but I tried to break it up, but there was no way to stop the two sides. Then I asked myself a few questions. Why did Benjamin Franklin say that? Did he just say that to express his intolerance of migrants from other countries without scientific support, or at that time Germans were considered swarthy compared to the British (and Dutch) for some scientific or aesthetic reason? As I thought about it a bit, I remembered that many Germans have a little darker or perhaps better orange skin than the English, speaking from experience from my travels. Not so few Germans had skin color similar to that of the German politician Renate Schmidt. I will post a picture in the link below, so you know what kind of look I mean.

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/D3FRFR/dpa-german-family-minister-renate-schmidt-of-the-social-democratic-D3FRFR.jpg

Without any intention to promote the supremacy of one over the other, I would like to ask someone who is well versed in history, politics and genetics whether Germans in the past (and today) were considered swarthy compared to other peoples of northern or western Europe, and why not so few Germans have the same skin color as the above-mentioned German politician Renate Schmidt, who for my taste is a very beautiful and elegant lady? Also, I would like to ask a supplementary question that I have come across on some German forums, and I don't know if it is a joke or a serious belief, the locals on the German islands tend to call Germans from the mainland or the south a derogatory name because of the color of their skin (white ni***r). Is it true or a joke?

Thanks!

I'm curious if hunter-gatherer societies that still exist show significant differences in their usage of smell vs. say, a typical westerner. Is their sense of smell more sensitive? Are they able to use their sense of smell skillfully like other predators while hunting? Does the sense of smell play any greater part in courtship?

Like why are some Sudanese peoples so much darker than people a hundred miles away. Does it mean that they migrated from a different climate relatively recently (I'm thinking the san peoples vs the Bantu) or is it something else?

I am starting a physical book collection and am also wanting to expand my knowledge about Mesoamerican cultures (primarily chichimeca tribes, zacatecas and caxcanes in particular if possible) since that's what I want to focus my studies on (yes I am aware it will make me no money lol). I only have one physical book and its Bernal Díaz del Castillo's (biased) account of his participation of the wars against the Aztecs.

I also have "Where We Belong: Chemehuevi and Caxcan Preservation of Sacred Mountains" being shipped rn. I've read a few books however it's mostly ebooks.

Any works about pre-columbian indigenius tribes is also accepted

And is this behaviour universal or culturally induced?

I'm thinking of the great effort and sacrifice people put even in dire and desperate scenarios where the chances of finding survivors are 0, like wars, airplane crashes, many days after major natural disasters like floodings or earthquakes..

Hi everyone, I recently read the book "Our Kind" by Marvin Harris and loved its cultural materialist perspective. Overall, it has a gigantic bibliography and I think Harris did a satisfying job in terms of a big history book. While reading the book, I realized it has not been translated into my language. I am considering translating the book into my native language, I am sure that I might find publishers since Big History is as popular in my country as it is all over the world, but there is one problem: From the perspective of recent findings in anthropology, is the book still relevant today? Since I am just a curious reader of the genre, I do not possess enough knowledge to decide whether the book is "still readable" or not, or, to put it clearer, whether it is worth translating a "science book" which was published in 1999 into another language in 2024. Thanks in advance!

I assume there would be a lot of extra trauma involved due to a lack of support involved and the fact that the blame in many such cases might be assigned to the victims. But I read that learned helplessness and normalisation in such cases would reduce the collective trauma of victims significantly if not outright eliminate it. Is this true ?

Hello, I am an undergraduate student pursuing a dual degree in Neuroscience and Anthropology. My biggest interest is early language development, and have been trying to find the best path to set myself up for success in this field. I have been working in a lab studying schizophrenia for over a year now, and it is going very well, but ultimately my main passion lies in anthropology.

I have been struggling a lot lately because I am worried that I will not be able to find a way to integrate these two fields in a fulfilling way. So I hope to get some advice on this. I want to stress that I am early on in my education, and if there are flaws in my logic or knowledge, I would greatly appreciate feedback!

My questions are:

1. Am I being unrealistic in my aspirations of connecting these fields?

2. Is there a subfield that I am unaware of?

3. What advice/resources would you give someone who is struggling to decide their career path?

Thank you for your time and understanding, and if you require more context, I would be happy to oblige!

I was thinking recently about Hobbes/ Locke's view of the "state of nature". Locke seemed to view a state of nature, before the existence of govt, as okay. Absolute freedom. And life isn't solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. As Hobbes viewed it. If nomadic groups had no govt and yet had decent qualities of live, maybe even better quality of lives than under organised societies that farmed, then it makes me think Locke was correct and that living under oppressive govt is not worth it compared to returning to a "state of nature". A pre govt existence. Of course, this is all theoretical in reality.

I'm trying to find the word for a group of women, usually older women teaching younger women, singing, talking, storytelling while doing work, like mending or washing clothes or making things like lace or time consuming things they would have done in the old world. I want to play these kinds of soundtracks while I clean and keep my house. I have it in my mind that it was common in central and western Europe but I cant seem to find the right words. Any help or suggestions are appreciated. I'm happy to try and clarify my thinking or anything just let me know.

Edit: it might be silly but I'm specifically looking for soundtacks/audio in language other than English but English could work

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice. My high school age daughter wants to pursue a career in archaeology. She attended a high school field school last summer and is hooked.

I understand from reading other threads that a Masters program will be important for career progression in archaeology. My question is specifically about undergrad programs. Is it better to pursue an undergrad degree in anthropology or archaeology to get into a good Masters program or is a liberal arts degree with field work during the summers sufficient for getting into a strong archaeology Masters program? I'm assuming that both undergrad and grad work would be in the US since that's where we live.

She has a strong interest in art and music so an undergrad in Liberal Arts would give her the opportunity to study these areas as an undergrad, but I also hear that Masters programs can be quite competitive. What do Masters programs prioritize when considering candidates--related undergrad degree (anthro/arch), experience at field schools, established relationships, or something else?

We want to help support her long term career goals, but neither my husband or I have experience in the social sciences, so we're looking for some guidance as we begin planning for the college years. Thanks very much in advance! Btw--this is my first Reddit post!!

Hello,

I’m teaching a course to undergraduate students (1st and 2nd year) on urban critical studies. Most of them are engineer students but the approach that I’m taking about the course is for the students to conduct some observations during the course in a form of short ethnographic work about how cities reinforce or allow certain power dynamics of inequality. I know this may be offensive to some anthropologists, but in my defense I come from STS so we are ok with very short participant observations.

My question is, do you have any recommendation of a very easy to follow-read material that my non-social science students could follow to learn how to do a participant observation, writing their journal, etc?

Thank you!

"Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones. But no. Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal. A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts, Mead said." We are at our best when we serve others. Be civilized."

• Ira Byock.

They say that living like our ancestor hunter gatherers is what is healthiest for our bodies and minds, primarily because evolution is a slow process.

I’ve seen scientific evidence that intermittent fasting is healthy because you’d be eating at similar amount of hours of the day as hunter gatherers (hunting patterns etc), which our biology has adapted to.

Similarly, with exercise, it’s good if we walk, run and lift weight because we didn’t have cars or other vehicles back in those primitive times, and we didn’t sit at desks all days.

The above makes sense, however, the 8 hours sleep recommended by scientists… How accurate is this? Did our ancestors really have the level of safety required for a peaceful 8 hours sleep back then? Surely their sleep would be interrupted by other tribes, dangerous animals, or harsh climates. Intuitively, 4 to 5 hours of interrupted sleep seems more likely.

The answer to this question that I learned in school was: to please their god(s). Now, 28 years later I am reading „Dialectic of Enlightenment“ by Horkheimer & Adorno. They write :“…instead of the god, the sacrificial lamb is massacred.“ Where does this understanding of sacrificial ritual come from? Is it based on anthropological theories? Or is it their view on rituals?

Considering the international WC symbol for male/ female is distinguished by a trouser wearer vs a skirt wearer - at what point did this gender division become the norm in western culture? Obviously not during Classical times; this division must have appeared in the Late Antique , presumably from Celtic/ Gallic , Scythian, Persian or another 'barbarian' cultural norms, but is also observed in many non western cultures.When and how did this division become established?

Hi Everyone,

In 2021, I graduated with a BA in Anthropology. Currently, I work in development and member services for a nonprofit. I want to get into tech and thought about doing an UX/UI bootcamp, but I don't think the job prospects are there. I'm interested in AI and research so I thought about careers in Data Science but I don't have the IT/tech skills like coding, SQL, ect. I'm open to a master's program but I want to avoid going back and getting a BA in Computer Science. I'm 36 and feel so lost. I don't know where to start. Any advice on programs, certs, and/or careers in tech that are a sensible transition from Anthropology?

I’m looking online at anthropology programs and I’m seeing some stuff about research, human evolution, and ethics of research etc but nothing says outright whether or not live animals are used for this program.

Do students of anthropology conduct research on animals in University?

Thanks

I need help from people with my undergraduate thesis because I don’t really understand at all. I started my anthropology degree three years ago but very quickly in my first year became ill. I scraped by my first and second year, barely attending lectures and doing the minimal reading as I was so busy and exhausted with medical appointments but could not afford to stop mid year. I took a gap year last year in order to focus on getting better but am starting my third year in September, somewhat better but still ill. As I haven’t really been engaged at all with this course I really have no idea what I’m doing but I need to finish the course out and write my thesis this year . I don’t even know what to write, what really counts as an anthropological topic etc. honestly I don’t really care which is sad when I look at my love for the subject going into first year I just need to get it done as easily as possible. Any topic advice or literally anything would be so helpful ( I don’t really want to write about anything to do my illness or the health care system] Thank you so much

I have had the early "humans are adapted for endurance for persistence hunting" as a theory presented to me as opposed to "humans are adapted for endurance for better scavenging as a theory. My question is: do anthropologists really see these ideas as opposed?

Mabye a diatribe below but here's how it would work in my head:

I dont see why these have to be mutually exclusive. Imagine your out doing your morning hike/5k with the tribe. This helps you see more vulture's circling in different areas,, go to different watering holes where you may find weakend animals to persistence hunt. Both sides are aided by our endurance traits. What if, kind of like in turkey hunting, you waited by the carcass for another scavenger to appear and begin eating then hucked a few spears at it and tracked it down. You would get even more food. You have a hyena and half an antelope for probably far less work that it would take to persistence hunt either with jogging alone.

And the human mind is probably more apt to strategize how to do this over other animals.

Good evening! I am hoping that the anthropologists of Reddit can give my daughter a bit of guidance on her science fair project. Thank you in advance!

My 13 year old daughter is currently trying to determine her 8th grade science fair project. She loves forensic anthropology, but since she cannot currently work with human bodies, she is exploring zooanthropolgy. To give you an idea of her level of commitment, she has started her own small (animal) body farm. She built her own decomp boxes and has been doing weekly recordings of the decomp process by noting stages of decomposition, the type of bugs present, taking pictures, ect. We also have a weather station that records temp, rain, ect, if she wanted to use that information. She has a blue jay, a muskrat, a lamb, and a beaver. All of these animals were ethically sourced. She has written research papers on the stages of decomposition and an argumentative paper on the ethics of body farms. She was granted the Junior Anthropologist Award by the American Anthropological Association, and has access to AnthroSource. We make sure to take her to lectures, fairs, read books, and watch documentaries to feed her curiosity and introduce her to other branches of the science.

On to the issue: She had hoped to use her current specimens for her science fair project. She found out today that she must have 3 similar specimens and run the same experiment 3 times for it to be accepted (ie, follow the decomp process of three lambs in the same environment). If she wanted to study 2 variables, she would need 9 specimens. Another constraint is that her project must be mostly completed by late November. And we would have to source enough dead specimens.

She is open to other anthropological topics, but would prefer something about decomposition or bone structure. And all projects must follow that rule of 3. Also, please be clear that she is not asking for someone to hand her a project, but does need help brainstorming how she could plan an acceptable experiment.

If anyone has any ideas to help point her in the direction of a workable question and project, please comment! Or if you have ideas of where to procure specimens, I'd love advice.

Thank you for helping a budding anthropologist!

I'm having a very hard time finding the book "The Anthropology of Education: Classic Readings" edited by David Julian Hodges. It was published in 2011, so it's not that old, but it seems to have completely disappeared. No Amazon, eBay, Google, etc. etc. Anyone know why?

Hello. I would like to ask anthropologists and people with anthropological educations, advice on the pros and cons of double majoring in psych and anthropology as an undergraduate student before my masters program and licensure for an aspiring counselor/therapist.

I am a psychology major early in major course work, considering a double major in anthropology. I believe education in anthropology could be just as, if not more beneficial for a career in counseling/therapy. I find psychology to be limiting in its categorical labeling and analyzation of the human and more focusing on out dated theory, but I also am very interested in it and I do find value in the material. However, from talking to a few LPC’s(listened practicing counselors) deep in their career, and personal research, it seems the main training and development of a therapist is really in the graduate schooling and mostly through real working experience in healthcare environments and in application in individual interactions with people in a therapy setting. Because of this, I believe anthropology, the study of human behavior across time and space, may be a very valuable foundation for my career because of ethnography and the science of the human experience.

I am also now realizing that my curiosity my whole life about myself, the human experience, and existence itself, is stemming from a more anthropological perspective without me knowing, and I have only answered these questions through neuroscience, history, philosophy, and psychology, until now, thus consequently being led to psychology as an education in to apply my natural interests, skills, and talents to an education in psychology for a career In its application.

Is this a viable hypothesis? Would anthropology be a good foundational education as an aspiring LPC who wants to one day open a private practice? Any advice and feedback is much appreciated! I apologize for the lengthy post.

Hey there. I have been kind of curious regarding the causal links related to the formation of gender roles in early human societies. In my layman’s understanding, settling down is going to lead to specialization and to the division of labor, that division is going to be impacted by some of the biological differences between sexes, which would lead to different tasks being expected, which leads to gender roles, which places weapons and the means of violence in the hands of one group, which leads to further power structures, and we’re moving towards the subject I’m more familiar with (I'm from polisci).

My question is, in these early societies, when gender roles were forming, do we know how much of that came from differences in physical performance (basically, strength), or because early women would have to dedicate a great deal of their time to childbearing and nurturing? I think this is kind of a hard question to ask, since it can get really speculative, and some aspects of it are so intrinsic to human biology that they would end up being present on any early society. What would be a counterfactual to those propositions? A world where women are just physically strong as man but still bear children? Or a world where women are the same but children come fully formed out of peaches?

Jokes aside, some of these differences could be tested? Like, if there were early societies that require more or less intense physical labor, could that be used to measure the impact of physical fitness on the formation of gender roles? Regarding the impact of childbearing and nurturing, I simply have no idea how such a proposition could be tested, or if it indeed already was. And for the main question, on what was more impactful, more important, is there any answer or direction to it?

I’m hope I’m not being to confusing. This is just something that peaked my curiosity

I heard that Neanderthals they had a very low population when modern humans arrived in Eurasia. But what is the exact number?

I feel like I should acknowledge the potential alien in the room: While my obsession with the Fertile Crescent area/era did start with Gobekli Tepe, this isn't an "ancient aliens" type of obsession. I feel it's because of those types that it's so hard to find any information on this era.

All I've been able to find so far has mainly come from wiki articles and a few off-shoots from there, but I've not been able to find anything that builds everything into a 'whole'. I've looked through the recommended books list, but the few I can find that seem to touch on this period are old prints that aren't for sale or cost a fair bit. The ones on Mesopotamia don't seem to cover this earlier period (that I can tell). Even trying to find websites that collate findings (from one site or the era in general) or lean towards academic topics (forums, etc) seems to be impossible. I don't know if this is because they don't exist, Google's searching is terrible, everything's been taken over by conspiracy theories or a mix.

So, does anyone have any good directions they can point me towards regarding these? To make it more specific, the things I'm most curious about are:

• A history/timeline of the Fertile Crescent area, but also Mesopotamia in general. Eg; how did it transition from from PPN to Sumerians?
• Where did the people of the area migrate from and, afterwards, to? Were they all one migratory group or from several groups?
• Do we know anything of the religions or culture of the area?