2021 Photography Contest

From the Congo to the carpool

Anthropologist Crickette Sanz has made an international reputation studying primate societies, relying on her own social networks to help her achieve work/life balance.

Big data arrives on the farm

Surveillance and the pervasive presence of “big data” are foregone conclusions in this tech-saturated, consumer-driven world. But what happens when big data informs not only what people buy, but how they organize their communities and indeed their very survival?

WashU Experts: What the future holds for Ukraine, Kazakhstan

After weeks of unrest in the former Soviet Union, news of Russian troops preparing to leave Kazakhstan and a pledge by Russia to not invade Ukraine are welcome signs of easing tensions in the region. But questions remain: Can Russia be trusted to uphold its pledge to Ukraine? And how will the choice by Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to embrace Russia help shape the future of his country and Central Asia’s politics?

Researchers of ancient DNA set guidelines for their work

“There are very serious ethical implications to dealing with human remains. These samples are taken from humans who had lives, families, and whose bodies represent the ancestral history of people still living today,” said Michael Frachetti, professor of archaeology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis who has used ancient DNA research to study Central and Eastern Eurasia populations.

Rooted in St. Louis: Professor Gayle Fritz illuminates the history of St. Louis human-plant relationships at Cahokia

Humanity and plants have been partners for millennia, and every crop has its history. But not all of our leafy partners get their due credit; indeed, many of them have been lost to time. Gayle Fritz, professor emerita of archaeology at Washington University, has conducted extensive research to uncover the history of these “lost crops.” Fritz is a retired anthropological archaeologist with a specialization in paleoethnobotany — a branch of archaeology which studies human-plant relationships.