The SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL has a section this year devoted to Endangered Languages and Cultural Heritage. One World Many Languagesis an awesome opportunity to explore linguistics, world cultures and, as always marvel in the power of the Smithsonian.

If you can make it to Washington DC The last weekend of June or the first weekend of July (and who doesn’t want to see America’s capitol on the 4th of July?) go! GO GO GO!

chingizhobbes:

If you haven’t seen it yet, the Vanishing Cultures Project is a really fantastic endeavor that is trying to document disappearing nomadic cultures and help preserve their legacy before they are gone completely. You should really check them out, what they do, and if you’re interested, how you…

alittlebitanthropological:

‘CBS published a video interview with Intel’s cultural anthropologist, Genevieve Bell. Bell discusses the role of cultural anthropology in understanding people’s needs and preferences related to technology, people’s time patterns, social relationships, and more.’

For those of you struggling to answer “what are you going to do with an anthro degree?” this is a good link.

This is a really excellent breakdown of how Dr. Jason Richwine’s claims that Hispanics are genetically less intelligent are just plain wrong, and how the Harvard vetting process let his dissertation go off the wheels.

Race and IQ are, for anthropologists, ideas that have long since stopped being relevant. But they are still held in high esteem by millions of Americans. Examining why claims about race and intelligence are controversial are good ways to know why the field dismisses them, beyond just parroting “They’re cultural constructs!” (which they are).

And for anyone still clinging to the idea that “Hispanics” are a negative cultural influence, you’re in the good company of Benjamin Franklin:

“Those who come hither are generally of the most ignorant Stupid Sort of their own Nation…Not being used to Liberty, they know not how to make a modest use of it…I remember when they modestly declined intermeddling in our Elections, but now they come in droves, and carry all before them, except in one or two Counties…In short unless the stream of their importation could be turned from this to other colonies, as you very judiciously propose, they will soon so out number us, that all the advantages we have will not in My Opinion be able to preserve our language, and even our Government will become precarious.”

Talking about the scourge of those swarthy, non-English speaking, Catholic… Germans. Oops, my bad.

Patty Kelly, “Awkward Intimacies: Prostitution, Politics and Fieldwork in Urban Mexico”

(Looking forward to that dissertation…)

theolduvaigorge:

Skeleton Sketches, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Harvard 

• by “miked”

I really dig these sketches. The figures all a bit off and a little goofy but the composition is well thought out. They have character and I like that.

(Source: Urban Sketchers)

(via sauropodwhat)

ancientpeoples:

Faience statue of a hippo

A votive offering to the Nile or the goddes Taweret. Taweret was the protector of pregnant women and small children, 

10cm high, 20cm long. 

Egyptian. 

Date and location unknown

Source: Leiden Museum of Antiquities 

sergiomarcos:

Homo heidelbergensis on Flickr.

(via drkrislynn)

lickypickystickyme:

If grandmothers around the world had a rallying cry, it would probably sound something like “You need to eat!”

Photographer Gabriele Galimberti’s grandmother said something similar to him before one of his many globetrotting work trips. To ensure he had at least one good meal, she prepared for him a dish of ravioli before he departed on one of his adventures.  

“In that occasion I said to my grandma ‘You know, Grandma, there are many other grandmas around the world and most of them are really good cooks,” Galimberti wrote via email. “I’m going to meet them and ask them to cook for me so I can show you that you don’t have to be worried for me and the food that I will eat!’ This is the way my project was born!”

The project, “Delicatessen With Love”, took Galimberti to 58 countries where he photographed grandmothers with both the ingredients and finished signature dishes.

He acted as photographer and stylist during each shoot with the grandmothers, taking a portrait of both the women and the food

(via gloriousmadness)

thefrogman:

thebrainscoop:

The Brain Scoop - Episode 22
Kids’ Q&A

Considering how many tours we give to elementary school-aged children, I thought it would be a fun episode to answer some of their questions for a video.  My sister is a 4th grade teacher and was more than willing to help out with this episode! 

We uploaded this episode last night and I’m pleasantly surprised by the number of comments that are something like, This episode was made for kids but I still learned something. Awesome.  Children have a wonderful way of asking questions without feeling embarrassed or with the prerequisite This might be a stupid question….  Fostering that imagination and curiosity is essential to inspiring new generations of scientists! 

Kids really do ask the best questions. I love The Brain Scoop and you should too. 

No strictly an anthropology video- but its an interesting look at museum work. Plus a fun way to learn about some basic biology stuff you might have slept through in High School.