Archaeologists have long thought that monumental architecture were products of societies with power structures, including social hierarchy, inequality and controlled labor forces. In new research, researchers report evidence of monumental structures built by hunter-gatherer groups at Kaillachuro, a collection of burial mounds located in the Titicaca Basin of the Peruvian Andes.
A bioarcheologist interested in the diets of people long past, UC Davis Ph.D. candidate Diana Malarchik, Department of Anthropology, analyzes the geochemical signatures of teeth to better understand major shifts in breastfeeding and maternal behavior in the past. Her research is highlighting inequities between individuals of high and low socioeconomic status.
Are dance and lullabies hardwired into humans? A UC Davis study challenges the idea that they are universal, using 43 years of research with the Northern Aché to explore cultural variation in human behavior.
UC Davis anthropologist Manvir Singh explores the enduring relevance of shamanism in his new book, revealing how ancient rituals still shape modern life. The book offers a sweeping analysis of shamanic practices across time
and cultures, reframing them through cognitive science and modern human behavior.
In its 116th year, Picnic Day is one of UC Davis’ most revered — and most fun! — traditions. From the amazing exhibits and yummy food, to the artistic and scientific demonstrations and everything in-between, here at the College of Letters and Science, we love this annual celebration.
Of the 8.7 million species on Earth, why are human beings the only one that paints self-portraits, walks on the Moon and worships gods? For decades, many scholars have argued that the difference stems from our ability to learn from each other. But extensive data has emerged suggesting that other animals, including bees, chimpanzees and crows, can also generate cultural complexity through social learning.
In her recent book Primate Socioecology: Shifting Perspectives, Lynne A. Isbell presents a new way of classifying primate social organizations. Primates are unusual among mammals in having a wide diversity of social organizations, including living alone, in pairs, in small cohesive groups, in large cohesive groups, and in groups whose members split up and come back together repeatedly.
How do pilgrimages and rituals arise? How do people become convinced to try something new? What makes a place so special that it persists through time, drawing people to it again and again? UC Davis anthropologists Cristina Moya and Nicolas Restrepo Ochoa are answering these questions at the ground floor.
Marisol de la Cadena, a professor of anthropology and science and technology studies in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, has been awarded the 2024 Vega Medal from the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography.
