This article was originally published at The Conversation and has been republished under Creative Commons.
For the first few million years of human evolution, technologies changed slowly. Some 3 million years ago, our ancestors were making chipped stone flakes and crude choppers. Two million years ago, hand axes. A million years ago, humans sometimes used fire, but with difficulty. Then, 500,000 years ago, technological change accelerated, as spear points, fire-making, axes, beads, and bows appeared.
As one of the longest-running anthropology blogs around, Anthrodendum has been a space where many conversations about open access, and alternative forms of publishing and communication have taken place. I’ve been involved in some of those conversations over the years, especially in dialog with Ryan who shares my enthusiasm for weird, experimental projects that neither of us has any time for. In that spirit, as a recently-added “dendrite,” I want to try and keep those kinds of conversations rolling on here and see what new ideas are emerging in the world of para-academic publishing.
My poem “Head of a Maiden” is my response to the recent New York Times article “Looking for a Stolen Idol? Visit the Museum of the Manhattan D.A.” According to the article, the 8 1/2-inch terra-cotta head of a maiden, valued at more than US$100,000, was seized by the district attorney’s office in 2021 from a New York City–based gallery.
In September 2019, the Stuurman family was getting ready for a burial. It was not going to be a typical service.
Updating my ethnographic methods syllabus! What are some of the readings people like about reflexivity, ethics, and/or positionality in ethnographic fieldwork?
— Angèle Christin (@AngeleChristin) December 1, 2021
Wet cement triggers a primal impulse, particularly in children.
It’s so tempting to inscribe a pristine patch of sidewalk with a lasting impression of one’s existence.
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