In 2023-2024, four hydropower dams were removed from the Klamath River in southern Oregon and northern California in what is now the largest salmon recovery and river restoration project in US history. In this paper, we present results from anthropological research, including a formal free-listing exercise and semi-structured interviews, to examine the post-dam water management priorities of two groups involved in the Klamath Basin’s most intractable conflict: agricultural producers and conservationists. We analyze how management priorities—including water allocation, water quality, fish recovery, community well-being, and the role of science in decision-making—are nested within these groups’ respective cultural models, the deeper worldviews, values and beliefs that shape decision-making and behavior. Despite significant differences, agricultural producers and conservationists share some priorities and concerns that may be the basis for common management objectives as river restoration moves forward.

ABSTRACT This paper reviews selected key perspectives on the concept of ‘power’ from the 1950 s to the present, highlighting overlooked aspects in critical interpretations that have impacted on the term’s reduction and banalization in academic discussions. Building on this review, and drawing on more recent texts, it advocates for a definition that highlights power’s heuristic utility in anthropological research, presenting power as contextual, dynamic, multilayered and contradictory forces shaping actions that offer insights into how individuals/networks navigate and re-contextualize constraints, limitations and uncertainties.

This article follows the efforts of Russian‐speaking (non‐)citizens to join the national Latvian or Estonian collectives, primarily as fiscal subjects. The Russian‐speaking residents of Daugavpils in Latvia and Sillamäe in Estonia, who feel excluded to various degrees, use their taxpayer subjectivity to claim (full) membership in the political community as good, deserving, and loyal citizens. In the popular and scholarly imaginations, taxation and citizenship are often inextricably linked. This article looks at how Russian‐speaking (non‐)citizens employ taxes to navigate national and neoliberal ideals of citizenship in Latvia and Estonia, and why they focus on taxes in particular. It also asks how effective taxes are in accessing (full) political membership in Latvia and Estonia. In doing so, I build upon and further contribute to the growing body of anthropological research on tax, arguing that the actual relationship between citizenship and taxation is always contingent on the political context, and should be studied and ethnographically unpacked rather than presumed and taken for granted.

While the drug livelihoods literature in Africa and the Global South focuses primarily on rural livelihoods, understanding how drugs fit into urban economies is important in urbanising contexts where formal / licit opportunities are scarce. This article contributes to the drug livelihoods literature through a study of this urban dimension in Africa. It uses conceptual lenses of precarity, informality and everyday corruption, themes prominent in the urban Africa literature. This article draws on anthropological research consisting of individual and focus group interviews with 34 research participants (including 21 urban traders), and participant observation in various towns and cities. Traders find cannabis trade accessible and profitable. Some invest earnings in other activities and for paying school fees and other necessities. Traders highlight how dealing with police is their key challenge. However, the trade operates relatively openly as traders form relationships with police and mitigate risks through bribes. Cannabis is a relatively reliable commodity in urban Kenya. Its trade is accessible for those lacking alternatives and depends on informal regulation through relations built on trust, a key conceptual focus of the informal economy literature. Its value is supported by illegality, making it profitable compared to other informal economic activity. Its risks are real but can be managed in a country where law is often a terrain of negotiation and corruption an everyday phenomenon. As an important commodity in Kenya's towns and cities, cannabis' urban livelihoods should be considered alongside rural ones in discussions of cannabis policy futures.

Historically, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have received far less global attention than the ‘big three’ diseases of global health (HIV, TB, and malaria), reinforcing health inequities experienced by those affected. Policy advocacy has been a necessary part of the work of NTD specialists, including researchers. One commonly used tool to support planned change is Theory of Change (ToC), employed by organisations such as the World Health Organization, non-governmental organisations, and research funders, who often require ToC diagrams at proposal stage. However, ToC practices can produce models of social change that are not particularly human-like, projecting an imaginary of change that is linear, predictable, unidirectional, mechanical, and largely detached from emotion, lived experience, or individual commitment. This paper offers an alternative perspective on how change often happens, informed by an anthropological case study of NTD policy change in practice. We do not argue that conventional ToC models ignore context or uncertainty altogether. Rather, our findings show that, in practice, especially in proposal-stage diagrams, ToC models often focus heavily on linear pathways and planned mechanisms, while treating assumptions and context as background notes rather than as active forces that can change how policy develops. Insights are drawn from a three-year anthropological research project examining how policy change related to NTDs unfolds in practice, focusing on the experiences of researchers and public health practitioners advocating internationally for three politically neglected NTDs: scabies, mycetoma, and podoconiosis. Methods include in-depth interviews, document analysis, and ethnographic observation. Narrative ethnographic analysis reveals that policy change in practice is often multidirectional, contingent, and shaped by happenstance. Individual biographies, emotional connections, and sustained personal commitment, observed ethnographically, operate as integral elements of policy change rather than as contextual add-ons, alongside more formal mechanisms. Dramatic events, such as the outbreak of the 2023 Sudan civil war, should not be understood as unusual disruptions of an otherwise stable Theory of Change, but as reminders of the limits of very rigid or mechanical models in capturing real-world unpredictability. Drawing on African ontological philosophy and rhizome theory, this paper proposes a plural and relational perspective on the reality of change. It subsequently argues for a reimagined Theory of Change and suggests practical ways of working with ToC that treat happenstance, serendipity, emotion, and human relationships as constitutive elements of change rather than residual factors. Such an approach may illuminate opportunities for influence that more linear models overlook and offer a more relatable and supportive way of thinking for those engaged in policy advocacy, contributing to more equitable global health responses.

The bioarchaeological study of identified human remains represents a powerful tool for reconstructing past lives and enriching historical knowledge. Through osteobiography, it is possible to integrate bioanthropological, archaeological, molecular, and archival data to provide a deeper understanding of individual life histories. However, this approach raises ethical concerns, particularly regarding post-mortem privacy, the right to be forgotten, and the limits of public disclosure. While scientific research contributes to preserving individual and collective memory, it must also consider the perspectives of descendant communities and the potential social and cultural implications of disseminating such detailed personal information. This paper explores these ethical dilemmas, reporting different case studies and discussing the challenges of balancing scientific inquiry, historical memory preservation, and respect for the deceased's dignity. The article aims to encourage further critical reflection on the management of post-mortem memory in anthropological research.

ABSTRACT This article questions the miscarriage/abortion distinction to build solidarity across pregnancy experiences and endings. Drawing on anthropological research, it highlights how lived experiences blur this boundary and asks which frameworks can best acknowledge such ambiguity and support inclusive social and clinical practice. We explore how a certain kind of abortion – ‘termination for medical reasons’ or ‘TMFR’ – is already treated as contiguous with miscarriage when incorporated under the ‘pregnancy loss’ umbrella within the UK advocacy scene. This can foster recognition and care, but we argue it risks reinforcing the ‘good abortion/bad abortion’ distinction and exceptionalising assumptions about the ‘separateness’ of abortion. We also voice concern that the language of loss and bereavement is coming to overdetermine representations of miscarriage in the UK, which can result in marginalization, alienation and self-doubt for those who do not experience a grief response. As an alternative, we argue for a maximally inclusive ‘full-spectrum’ approach that supports all pregnancy endings, regardless of circumstance or emotional response. In making this case, we refer to policies around employment leave for pregnancy endings and campaigns for decriminalization of abortion, which demonstrate that meaningful support for miscarriage cannot be achieved until abortion too, in all its forms, is supported.

This review demonstrates how the theory landscape memory can be used in anthropological research within local communities. This case study analyzes how Sami reindeer herders gain and use their professional skills and reindeer terminology and how their skills develop into landscape memory. The case study is based on field work done in Jávrrešduottár, a Sami community in northern Finland. Landscape memory is at the core of the reindeer Sami cultural knowledge system and it includes a community’s history, language, values, livelihood patterns and cultural ways of perceiving the landscape. The study challenges the idea of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge as a suitable method for studying indigenous peoples and emphasises the local humanenvironmental relationship as a basis for understanding local culture. The study wants to raise into theoretical discussion the idea of landscapememory as method for studying environmental relations. The study suggests, that although new technologies and vehicles have changed reindeer herding towards a more market oriented approach, the basic function of reindeer herding has stayed the same. Reindeer herding in the research area has maintained its cultural core within changing environmental, economic andbureaucratic processes. For the future of reindeer herding it is important that herders see reindeer herding as a way of life.

Trauma recovery frequently falters when therapeutic intervention relies primarily on verbal insight and cognitive reframing. While such approaches can improve understanding, they often fail to engage the embodied and symbolic dimensions through which traumatic experience is originally encoded. This paper advances a model of trauma recovery grounded in ritualized embodiment and meaning-making, proposing that durable change emerges when bodily sensation, symbolic action and narrative authorship are integrated within a structured therapeutic container. This conceptual and interdisciplinary theoretical paper develops a mechanism model of trauma recovery grounded in ritualized embodiment and meaning-making. Drawing on literature from trauma studies, depth psychology, anthropology, and narrative identity research, it argues that ritual functions as a transitional technology: translating diffuse affect and pre-verbal experience into symbolic form without requiring immediate verbalization. Embodied ritual practices—such as posture, gesture, spatial orientation, and controlled enactment—stabilize affect, regulate arousal, and create conditions under which new meanings can be generated safely. Meaning-making is reframed not as retrospective interpretation but as active authorship, in which individuals renegotiate their relationship to memory, identity, and agency. The paper proposes a phased framework for trauma recovery that moves from somatic stabilization to symbolic engagement to narrative integration. Within this framework, ritual operates as a mediating structure that protects against both emotional overwhelm and premature cognitive closure. The model emphasizes containment, timing and client sovereignty, challenging assumptions that continuous emotional processing is necessary for therapeutic progress. Instead, recovery is conceptualized as the gradual restoration of the capacity to choose how experience is held, interpreted and lived. By articulating the mechanisms through which ritualized embodiment supports meaning-making, this paper contributes a theoretically coherent and clinically applicable account of trauma recovery that bridges somatic, symbolic and narrative approaches.

Background/Objectives: The anatomical variability of the human foot represents a subject of substantial interest, offering valuable insights in anthropological research as well as in clinical practice. The aim of this study is to document anatomical variants of the tarsal bones in a CISC//XXI skeletal sample (21st Century Identified Skeletal Collection), with a particular focus on the prevalence of accessory ossicles. Methods: The studied sample consisted of 163 individuals (83 females and 80 males). The prevalence of six accessory tarsal bones was recorded (os trigonum, calcaneum secundarium, the accessory navicular bone, os sustentaculum, os vesalianum and os intermetatarseum). Results: A total of 35 individuals (21.4%; 35/163) exhibited at least one accessory ossicle, with 13 females (15.7%; 13/83) and 22 males (27.5%; 22/80). The os trigonum and calcaneum secundarium were the most frequently observed accessory bones, respectively, in 9.3% (15/162) and 6.9% (11/159) of the individuals. No sex differences were observed. All accessory bones occurred more frequently unilaterally, and no co-occurrences of accessory bones were observed. Conclusions: These findings are crucial in both the biomedical and anthropological fields, where a detailed knowledge of foot anatomy and its variations is relevant.

This study examined the morphometry and morphological variations of the external ear among the Omuma population. Specifically, measured the length of the tragus, breadth of the ear below the tragus, and presence of Darwin's tubercle. The aim is to document and analyze these variations to provide a comprehensive understanding of the external ear morphology within this specific population among omuma group. The study adopted a cross-sectional design, 400 participants aged 16-45 were used using simple random sampling method. For data collection a camera was used to take photographs with a 2cm graph sheet placed behind the ear horizontally and vertically to take reading from the photograph using a computer. Data were analyzed using SPSS version and descriptive studies of frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation were used Data analysis. The result of the analysis revealed that majority of the participants were female (227, 56.8%) while male was 173(43.3%) and majority fell between the age of 26-35 years. Further findings showed that the mean length ear of the tragus was 1.42±0.26, while mean breadth of just below the tragus was 3.30±0.53cm and 3.27±0.53cm for left and right ear respectively. This study on ear morphometry in the Omuma population has provided data on the length of the tragus, the breadth of the ear below the tragus, and the prevalence of Darwin’s tubercle. It was recommended that ear morphometric and morphological data gotten from the present study should be utilized in forensic studies for identification purposes. Data will contribute to anthropological research and may have implications for clinical practices related to ear morphology

Dental morphological traits provide valuable insights into global human variation and population structure. The Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS) has long been a cornerstone for documenting crown and root morphology, yet recent discussions have questioned its reliability for characterising population differences. This study aimed to (i) identify the ASUDAS traits most commonly analysed in recent research, and (ii) compare their reported frequencies with those documented in the foundational work of Turner and Scott. A systematic review identified 43 eligible studies comprising 36,919 individuals representing all major subdivisions of humankind. Thirty variants across 27 distinct traits were recorded most frequently, and 29 of these were subjected to meta-analysis using random-effects models. Nearly all traits showed significant between-group and within-group heterogeneity, indicating strong discriminatory potential but also substantial population-level variability. While broad patterns remain consistent with classic ASUDAS expectations, several traits exhibited expanded regional ranges, reflecting both greater sample diversity and admixture effects. These findings reaffirm the value of ASUDAS traits for describing broad-scale morphological patterns while underscoring the need for multi-trait, population-specific, and context-specific approaches when interpreting dental morphology in anthropological research.

Using DNA to restore the identity and dignity of Richmond's ancestors: The East Marshall Street Well Project.

This review attempted to synthesise these research findings by investigating owners’ perceptions and definitions of the importance of companion animals. Today, pet animals occupy an increasingly central role in human emotional lives. People across cultures no longer regard these creatures as mere means of functioning but as emotionally significant members of households and families. A synthesis across disciplines, this paper reviews literature examining how and why pet owners value their pets, drawing on psychological, sociological, anthropological, public health, and consumer behaviour research. Accordingly, the analysis emphasized that pet value involves several dimensions: emotional attachment, psychological well-being, social support, identity formation, physical health behaviours, and economic investment. Attachment theory, anthropomorphism, and social capital frameworks are intertwined to discuss the dynamics through which owners came to value their pets. Additionally, this review highlighted the importance of considering cultural and contextual differences in pet ownership, as perceptions of pet value could vary across societies and individual life circumstances. Despite a wealth of valid data highlighting positive emotional and social effects of pet ownership, the literature also presented inconsistencies and context-dependent findings, especially with regard to mental and physical health. Future research should aimed to explore longitudinal patterns and cross-cultural comparisons to better understand how these dimensions of pet value evolve over time. Owners’ valuation of pet animals was multidimensional, relational, and socially constructed, the review concluded, and required nuanced interpretation as well as longitudinal and cross-cultural research.

Introduction Dorsal hand vein pattern represents a unique morphological feature of the human body which may serve as a biometric tool for forensic identification. Study Aim The primary aim of this study was to determine the frequency and distribution of dorsal hand vein patterns in a Slovak adult population, with respect to sex and laterality of the hand. Material and Methods This study provides a morphological analysis of dorsal hand vein patterns in a sample of 70 healthy adults from the Slovak population. Vein configurations were classified using the 1951 system developed by Suchý, distinguishing four main types: branched, double-branched, simple, and composite. Results The most frequent patterns were branched and double-branched, while the composite form was rare. No statistically significant differences were found between sexes or between hands, suggesting a high degree of bilateral and intersexual symmetry. A rare morphological subtype, labelled 2N4, appeared exclusively in females on the left hand, potentially reflecting sex-linked vascular variation. Conclusion The results support the hypothesis that dorsal venous architecture is largely determined by early developmental and genetic factors. Given the pattern stability and inter-individual variability, dorsal hand veins remain a promising biometric marker. Despite limitations related to imprinting technique and assessment subjectivity, the study offers a valuable anatomical reference for future biometric, forensic, or anthropological research.

Mazu, also known as A-Ma or Tianhou, is a sea goddess revered by over 200 million devotees and holds a unique historical and cultural significance in Macau. This relationship has evolved profoundly since Macau’s 1999 handover and the 2005 UNESCO recognition of Mazu heritage. Central to this transformation are two developments: the establishment of the A-Ma Cultural Village and the introduction of the A-Ma Cultural and Tourism Festival. Adopting a cultural governance framework based on anthropological research, interviews and informal conversations with various stakeholders, devotees, and visitors in Macau, Taiwan and mainland China, this study reveals the socio-economic and political significance of these developments. It uncovers a collaborative dynamics between state actors (the Macau and Chinese governments) and non-state actors (the Fujian community and Taiwanese Mazu temples). By mobilizing the cult of Mazu, they drive Macau’s economic diversification through Mazu-related tourism while fostering cross-Strait cultural and religious exchanges. This aligns with mainland China’s religious united front strategy under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework. The evolving interplay between the Mazu cult, cross-Strait relations, and Macau’s economic diversification highlights a distinctive state-religion dynamic reshaping trilateralties. This transformation reflects not only localized economic strategies but also the extension of mainland China’s cultural governance model into the special administrative region.

Cranial morphology assessed through anthropometric indices is fundamental for understanding population diversity, forensic identification, and clinical assessment, particularly within Nigeria’s multi-ethnic context. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare cephalic indices—defined as the ratio of maximum head breadth to maximum head length—between the Jhar and Sayawa ethnic groups in Tafawa-Balewa Local Government Area, Bauchi State, Nigeria, and to generate baseline reference data for these populations. A total of 410 participants (103 Jhar and 307 Sayawa), aged 5–66 years (mean = 24.0 ± 11.2; 291 males and 119 females), were recruited, and socio-demographic information was obtained using a structured pro forma. Head length and breadth were measured following standardized anthropometric techniques, and cephalic indices were calculated accordingly. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS (Version 27), with descriptive statistics, charts, and tables for presentation, and categorical associations evaluated using Chi-square tests (p < 0.05). The mean cephalic index was 79.33 ± 4.85 for Jhar and 78.32 ± 5.19 for Sayawa, values that fall within the mesocephalic range indicative of intermediate head shapes typical of populations in the region. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two ethnic groups (p > 0.05), suggesting a broadly shared cranial profile. These findings enrich the anthropometric database for Nigerian ethnic groups and have practical implications for forensic anthropology, clinical assessment, and future research on craniofacial variation in multi-ethnic populations.

A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh, Bangladesh, to determine heel breadth among 5 to 10 years old children as well as to explore sexual dimorphism, if any. A nonrandom purposive sampling technique was adopted for sample collection. Any kind of foot deformity due to either from inherited or physical injury were excluded to construct standard measurement. A total of 109 Bangladeshi children (70 male and 39 female) hailing from different areas of Fulbaria, Trishal, Haluaghat, Phulpur and Muktagacha Upazila under Mymensingh district, aged between 5 and 10 years, were finally included in this study. Heel breadth was measured using Vernier slide calipers. Children were requested to stand with weight distributed equally on both feet. The legs were perpendicular to the feet. The mean heel breadth of right side of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 years aged male children were 3.92±.49 cm, 4.21±.44 cm, 3.87±.54 cm, 4.41±.39 cm, 4.61±.56 cm and 4.34±.61 cm respectively, while 3.86±.43 cm, 3.50±.24 cm, 4.11±.59 cm, 3.94±.56 cm, 3.27±.33 cm and 3.91±.54 cm among female children respectively. The mean heel breadth of left side of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 years aged male children were 3.92±.49 cm, 4.18±.44 cm, 3.84±.52 cm, 4.36±.39 cm, 4.54±.53 cm and 4.30±.60 cm respectively and 3.81±.41 cm, 3.50 ±.24 cm, 4.07±.59 cm, 3.88±.60 cm, 3.27±.33 cm and 3.86±.51 cm among females respectively. Comparison of heel breadth showed no significant difference between male and female (p>0.05), except in 6 and 9 years old children, the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). The present anthropometric study was designed to construct data of 5 to 10 years aged Bangladeshi children regarding heel breadth and an attempt has been made out to create interest among the researchers for future study. Our study findings are expected to enrich the information pool for use in research and practice in multiple disciplines, e.g., anatomy, orthopaedics, forensic medicine, plastic surgery, radiology, podiatry, archeology, anthropology and nutrition science. CBMJ 2026 January: vol. 15 no. 01 P: 22-25

The entry briefly summarises the historical development of anthropological research in the country since the 1730s. During the XXth c. Russian ethnology transformed from a geographical to the discipline belonging to social sciences and humanities. From mid-1960s to the 1990s it was characterised by debates over definitions of ethnic groups. Russian ethnology during this period was strongly influenced by conflicting ideologies: imperial stance seeking unification of the ethnically diverse population, on the one hand, and a local nationalisms ideology, on the other. The introduction of socio-cultural anthropology during the 1990s marked a new stage with the emergence of specialised sub-disciplines, the division between folklore, ethno-political, and regional comparative studies. The paper covers the history of the main anthropological institutions in the country, and traces the leading anthropological periodicals policy

Tribal society and the generation of scientific temper in post-independence India takes a decisive place in the overall discussion of social transformation, education and inclusive development. The available literature emphasises the fact that tribal communities, which were historically defined by cultural autonomy, ecological knowledge systems and marginalisation by colonial powers, were faced with a completely changed socio-political landscape following independence. The key issue emerged from the studied literature is unequal application of scientific temper, which is seen as rational inquiry, critical thinking, and potential opposition to superstition, to the tribal social organisation in cases of state-driven development and educational intervention. The literature reviewed is largely analytical and literature based and is based on sociological, anthropological, educational, and policy-based research. All these works indicate that as much as constitutional protection, education growth and developmental programmes were aimed at fostering modern scientific perspectives, they have been limited by structural inequalities, lack of proper implementation, cultural discontinuities, and entrenched social exclusion. Tribal knowledge systems were often positioned in opposition to scientific rationality rather than recognised as complementary, thereby restricting the organic development of scientific temper. Education has become a prevailing factor but inequity in access, quality and relevance still determines outcome. The review of literature indicates that scientific temper among tribal society needs culturally sensitive educational practises and developmental policies that do not ignore the indigenous epistemologies but allow rational and critical interaction with the modern science.