By Judith Farquhar (NHC Fellow, 2007–08; 2015–16) and Lili Lai In the early 2000s, the central government of China encouraged all of the nation’s registered minorities to “salvage, sort, synthesize, and elevate” folk medical knowledges in an effort to create local health care systems comparable to the nationally supported institutions of traditional Chinese medicine. Gathering Medicines bears … Continued
Edited by Peter T. Struck (NHC Fellow, 2002–03) and Sarah Iles Johnston This book thoroughly revisits divination as a central phenomenon in the lives of ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. It collects studies from many periods in Graeco-Roman history, from the Archaic period to the late Roman, and touches on many different areas of this … Continued
By Ann Grodzins Gold (NHC Fellow, 2014–15) Jahazpur is a small market town or qasba with a diverse population of more than 20,000 people located in Bhilwara District in the North Indian state of Rajasthan. With roots deep in history and legend, Shiptown (a literal translation of landlocked Jahazpur's name) today is a subdistrict headquarters … Continued
By Pete Sigal (NHC Fellow, 2004–05) Prior to the Spanish conquest, the Nahua indigenous peoples of central Mexico did not have a notion of “sex” or “sexuality” equivalent to the sexual categories developed by colonial society or those promoted by modern Western peoples. In this innovative ethnohistory, Pete Sigal seeks to shed new light on … Continued
Rarely do studies of slavery mention the valuable skills and tangible creations of the millions of Africans brought to the New World. Much is made—and rightly so—of African talents in storytelling, music, and dance but these modes of creative performance do not adequately describe the full range of Africa’s contributions to American culture. The Africans … Continued
This summer I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful country of Spain with my granddaughter, grandson, daughter and son. On past vacations, observing the cultures of other countries has been an amazing learning experience. And so it was, when we attended a Bullfight in Seville (the Andalusian capital)! I admit I had mixed emotions … Continued
This past summer, I traveled to Seville, Spain, with my family. One of the oldest traditions in Seville and many other parts of Spain is bull fighting. While we were visiting, there happened to be one occurring at the Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Sevilla, a local stadium. At first, I was hesitant to go. … Continued
Caitlin Patton discusses how the work of Ted Fischer, an anthropologist focused on food culture, specifically the cultivation of broccoli in Guatemala, inspired her choice to study at Vanderbilt University. Fischer’s book, Broccoli and Desire, spotlights an anthropological case study of food culture: the surprising webs of connection between American consumer culture and the traditions … Continued
For the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the United States, the changing nature of immigration law and policy is not merely an abstract concern. The rise in anti-immigrant sentiment has transformed the lives of young people, who must contend with the uncertainty of their own legal status even as they fear for the safety of their families. In this podcast, Angela Stuesse, associate professor of anthropology at UNC–Chapel Hill, discusses her latest collaborative project, which seeks to understand the reality of contemporary immigration in the United States through a personal lens.
During this grief and loss, many are turning to the arts for emotional support, but the COVID-19 crisis is also a place for the humanities. Where the arts provide individual expression and connection, the humanities help us make meaning and find understanding on a collective level.