A child on a leash explores the scene of an anti-trans protest against the backdrop of a banner decrying the “gender ideology” as child abuse.

Since the early 2000s, Latin America has witnessed the rise of a new concept, the ideología de género (gender ideology.) Though every culture and society is inevitably defined by a gender ideology—that is, what differentiates each gender from the others—the …

Gender Ideology in Chile Read more »

Dancers spend many hours a day, many days in a row dancing in the elaborate costumes and masks. Ezekiel Canti, dressed as the young jaguar, takes a rest before joining the dance again.

On Wednesday, January 6th, 2016, in the community of Santa Cruz in the Toledo District, Belize, community members, school children, visitors and passers-by had the chance to witness the beginning of the Deer Dance. Beginning a traditional Maya celebration continuing …

The Deer Dance – Santa Cruz, Toledo, Belize – January 2016 Read more »

Each station on the Road of Development featured different anthropologists speaking about their research and edited into topics, framed in repurposed canvases.

coolAnthropology.com‘s mission is to expand the reach of anthropological research through informed discussions and dissemination. We do this through several different means- conceptualizing and/or collaborating on projects, designing teaching tools, electronic outreach. Perhaps one of most exciting means of dissemination …

Cool Installations #aaa2013 Read more »

the centrality of the anthropologist to their research is a source of constant reflection. removing oneself, it is impossible to tell the stories we are privileged to learn, but distorting or silencing those voices is to be avoided at all costs.

As we’ve been preparing for next week’s debut of our latest installation, “On the Road of Development,” I’ve been thinking quite a bit about perspective: what an anthropological perspective offers to discussions about issues of education, environment, infrastructure or economics, …

Road of Mirrors Read more »

as evening falls, the bulbs of the cruz del cerro San Cristobal are illuminated to dramatic effect with one flip of a switch

Afternoon turns to evening as families, friends and lovers take in the hazy sunset over Lima’s urban sprawl enclosed by the rolling mountains. The cross on the hill, or el Cruz del cerro San Cristobal, provides the ideal spot for …

An Evening in Lima Read more »

the Inca city is now reachable by train and bus but many visitors prefer to hike the Inca trail and enter through the Sun Gate

Standing 7,970 feet above sea level in the Andes mountains of Peru, the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu is probably among the most recognized and celebrated archaeological sites in the world. Its fame is not simply a result of …

The Fall and Rise of Machu Picchu Read more »

the deer dance depicts many scenes related to the European conquest and is well-known for its elaborate costumes and masks, which belong to a certain groups of dancers and are handed down through generations

For Maya communities in Guatemala and Belize, mid-October is a time to remember and participate in celebrations that were important to mark the passing of years long before Columbus arrived in this part of the world. These photos capture moments …

“Anti-Columbus Day” Celebrations at Tikal, 2011 Read more »

kinship in sleep- babies sleep suspended while their mothers work together. Kinship bonds begin early.

One of the most “classic” topics studied by cultural anthropologists is kinship. Back in the discipline’s history, we find Lewis Henry Morgan taking care to decipher the many complex ways human societies trace our relatedness to one another. In Santa …

Wee Three Belize Read more »

Huascarán looms over the vast valley and the replica of the church front, a reminder of nature's power

On May 31, 1970, an earthquake in the Ancash region of north-central Peru sent a large mass of glacial ice from the mountain, Huascarán, down into the valley to on its western side, killing the 25,000 residents of the town …

Fields of Huascarán Read more »