Free Anthropology Essay Examples & Topics

Free Anthropology Essay Examples & Topics

What is anthropology? This is a difficult question, and the answer will change depending on who you ask. In broad terms, anthropology is the scientific study of humanity that deals with people’s behavior, culture, linguistics, and biology. It also looks at the history of the human species. We need anthropology because by studying our livelihoods and making connections between the past and the present, we learn more about our nature.

To better understand this science, let us look over its four main subfields. Archaeology studies human culture by removing manmade objects from the ground. Scientists in this field investigate the way people have lived, worked, traded, and moved across the globe. Biological anthropology tries to understand the way people get used to different environments, while linguistics studies the way people communicate. Finally, cultural anthropology looks at the phenomenon of culture and how it affects people.

Composing an anthropology essay is hard work, and that is why our team has gathered 24 topics that you can use to write your paper. Employing an idea from our list will save you plenty of brainstorming time that you can spend on other responsibilities. We have also collected some tips that will help you write your paper. After the article, you will find anthropology essay examples written by other students.

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Essay About Anthropology: Useful Tips and Tricks

Anthropology can be a tricky subject for academic writing, especially if you aren’t studying it specifically. However, any essay about anthropology should follow certain standards. In this section, we have collected the main tips on effectively composing this kind of paper.

Follow these tips for successful essay writing:

  1. Grab your reader’s attention.

The first paragraph should aim to catch the eye of your audience. Consider including a story, an interesting fact, or an anecdote. For example, if you are writing a paper on linguistic anthropology, write the first sentence in a couple of different languages. Try to look for an unusual way to start your essay and don’t rely on stereotypes.

  1. Capture your point in a single sentence.

Think of the main idea that you will be exploring. It should be positioned at the beginning of the essay, closer to the end of the introductory paragraph. This is called the thesis statement, and it lets your readers know what is about to come.

  1. Provide the context.

After the first paragraph, take the time to introduce your audience to your chosen topic. Inform them about the situation and the setting, and clarify any terms you will use throughout the paper. Consequently, if you are writing a paper on Halloween, imagine what someone who has never heard of it before might need to know. Don’t try to be too wordy – you should only provide context relevant to your thesis.

  1. Use evidence to support your points…

You should back up every point with relevant facts, numbers, published papers, etc. Look for the quotes that support your arguments. Try looking for evidence obtained with different anthropological research methods, such as interviews or fieldwork.

  1. …but don’t be afraid to argue against them!

It is always useful to provide counterarguments to your position. Explain the opposing side of the debate and support it with solid factual data. Therefore, for example, when writing about prison abolition, mention and argue the points from those who support the system. This approach will give your essay even more credibility.

  1. Finish on a high note.

At the end of your essay, summarize your main points in your conclusion. Return to your thesis and restate it in different words, showing how it has developed since the beginning. Mention how anthropologists can research this topic in the future. Try to leave your reader feeling like you have covered as much as you could in the short space provided.

24 Amazing Anthropology Essay Topics

It can be tricky to choose a good idea for your essay. After all, anthropology is quite a broad field. To make your task easier, you can try using our title generator. Alternatively, you can also check our list of anthropology essay topics below.

  1. Why is anthropology important? Reasons and predictions for the future.
  2. The format of Ethnographic research and how it differs from cultural anthropology.
  3. Explaining Alfred Gel’s concept of diagrammed imagery and its importance in social relations.
  4. Discussing the role of food in human development.
  5. Studying the emergence of family in different cultures around the world and throughout time.
  6. Using medical anthropology as forensic science.
  7. The role of travel in different cultures throughout history.
  8. What are the effects of smoking on the human physical appearance?
  9. The influence of the environment on human skin color.
  10. Investigating how religious beliefs influence ethics.
  11. History leading up to the emergence of linguistic anthropology.
  12. Analyzing the main points of Marvin Harris’s Cultural Materialism.
  13. How are sociology and anthropology related to each other?
  14. What are some of the participant observation methods in anthropology?
  15. The mythology of Ancient China and its effect on modern culture.
  16. Discussing anthropological perspectives about the origin of humans.
  17. How did Henry Walter contribute to the field of physical anthropology?
  18. Do people learn how to be altruistic, or is it an effect of evolution?
  19. The effect of superstitions on the way of life in medieval Germany.
  20. What is the view of ancestors in various African cultures?
  21. The main cultural factors affecting the view of necessary education.
  22. How can applied anthropology be used to solve economic crises?
  23. Current debates about ethical methods and applications of forensic anthropology in the West.
  24. What is the view of feminism in different cultures around the world?

Thank you so much for your attention! Feel free to look through the anthropology paper examples below to understand this topic better. You can shorten them with our summarizer to read them faster.

307 Best Essay Examples on Anthropology

The Akan Clan System

The Akan people believe that the family is the most important unit of the society. It is important to note that the Akan people honor their ancestors and are proud of their roots.
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Death Ceremonies in Luhya Tribe

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This tribe is called the Luhya tribe and is one of the 42 tribes of the Republic of Kenya. This is because a clan might actually size to exist due to the death of a [...]
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1977
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Human Development: Nature or Nurture?

With studies and theories carried out to examine the impact of nature on the personal development and personality traits, heredity is an important factor in the development.
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History of the Finger Printing

Prior to and after 1950 fingerprinting as a biometric method of identifying criminals in the field of forensic science had been settled upon as one of the most reliable methods of identifying criminals in the [...]
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Neolithic Revolution

Neolithic revolution refers to an agricultural revolution that occurred between 8,000 and 5,000 BC, during which period the human way of life was transformed from historically practices that predominantly involved hunting and gathering to a [...]
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Young People’s Tattoo and Piercing Experiences

Commentaries of the linguistic aspects provided the information about the individuals' emotions associated with perceiving their own and tattoos and piercing, the body art of their partners, and the artists represented on bodies of the [...]
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Human development index

It is important to note that the origin and development of the human development index is closely linked to the United Nations, to be more precise, to the United Nations Development Program's annual development reports.
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Ethnography Reflection

In the book 'Mad Dogs, Englishmen, and the Errant Anthropologist ', Douglas Raybeck the ethnographer had to learn the culture of the society. The evidence of the ethnographer's impact on the communities is in the [...]
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Colombia’s and the US’ Cultural Dimensions

The purpose of this paper is to compare Colombia and the USA through the length of the six cultural dimensions model proposed by Geert Hofstede and to examine the similarities and differences.
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Ethnographic Research Methods

Participant observation can be defined as a qualitative method in ethnology research that is used by researchers in the areas of cultural anthropology in which the researcher in given the opportunity to get a close [...]
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1891
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Genetic Disorders: Causes and Treatment

The individual inherits some of the characteristics from the mother and the rest is inherited from the father. Genetic disorders may be passed from the parents to the offspring's during the process of fertilization.
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  • Words: 1667
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Kinship of Family

In the above mentioned scenario it is certain that links that are based on blood are stronger and cannot be compared to links based on the marriage because the partners in marriage are united by [...]
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Benefits of uterine family

Wolf in her book tries to explain the benefits of having uterine families in Chinese kinship system stating that both the uterine family of a woman's maternal parent and her individual uterine relations is created [...]
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Development Through the Lifespan – Middle Adulthood

Environmental influence presents the other side of influence affecting people's development in their middle adulthood. Berk explains this phenomenon in the example of menopause, which is a characteristic process in middle adulthood, and women's response [...]
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Nomadic Pastoralism and Cultural Survival

This section looks into the case of the Northern Afghanistan nomadic pastoralists and the kind of animal they keep coupled with why they choose to remain nomadic pastoralists.
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Body Modification: Past and Present

Types of Body Modification The term 'body modification' refers to several methods of body transformation which include piercing, tattooing, branding, cutting, binding and inserting implants to alter the appearance and shape the body.
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Culture of Nacirema People

It is important to note that to the Nacirema people, magic is part of life. It is ironical that the Nacirema people have not learnt that their rituals are not that effective as they think.
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The Major Subfields of Anthropology

The adaptation of human beings in the diverse nature of environments in different regions is one of the most significant fields in this branch of anthropology.
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Anthropology: Tibetan Nomads Life

In the autumn season, the animals become healthy, and this is the time when nomads sell their animals and buy supplies for themselves, which they have to keep for another season of the year.
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Patrilineal and Matrilineal Descent Groups

3
For example, in a patrilineal descent, the descent group is composed of both the females and males sired by a father belonging to the patriarchal affiliation.
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  • Words: 1713

Artifacts, Ecofacts, and Features in Anthropology

5
The hypothesis also presupposes that the people from Europe were the constructors of the first settlements in the American territories. The hypothesis suggests that the Clovis culture spread from the north to the south of [...]
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Postmodernism in Anthropology

Thus, the change of epochs in the human philosophy was also the shift in the scientific focus on society, i.e.the social sciences could not escape the influence of the shift and followed it, adjusting the [...]
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The Grandfather of Structure: Claude Levi-Strauss

This paper will provide his brief biography, the historical context in which his theories were created, his educational background, influences, contemporaries, and how his theory is applied in the field of anthropology. This time was [...]
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“Using Anthropology” by David W. McCurdy

In the instances that this reading describes, there is a difference between the way that people describe their own situation, and the way it appears to an outside observer.
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Medical Anthropology

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An analysis of the power relations affecting biomedicine addresses questions such as who has the power over agencies of biomedicine, how and in what forms power is to be delegated, how the power is to [...]
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Primary Mode of Subsistence in the Zulu Culture

This paper is aimed at bringing to the fore the primary approach of the Zulu culture subsistence and further analyze the impact of its subsistence on the Beliefs and values, Kinship and social organization aspects. [...]
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Cognitive Growth Stages: Piaget & Freud

The pre-operational stage: At the pre-operational stage, the child learns to exercise language and to characterize things by words and images. At this stage of development, the anus acts as the centre of attraction of [...]
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James George Frazer’s Role in Social Anthropology

The recognition of the power of the natural laws slowly led to development of religion. As such religion, in Frazer's view is the emancipation of the intelligent man from the throes of primitive magic.
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Political Types in Melanesia and Polynesia Review.

The paper assumes a simple abstraction/caricature of some of the obvious deviations in the political organization of the two areas. This is particularly highlighted by the comparison of Melanesian and Polynesian political systems.
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Anthropology. Nature Versus Culture Debate

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This stimulation can only be found in the environment and therefore the brain is able to take up so much from the environment that is the culture of the people.
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Native Land Claim in Canada

Following the resistance of the natives to the new regulations, the government of Canada embarked on vigorous reconsideration of the legal, political, and cultural aspects that governed the lives of Indians, Inuit and Metis.
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A Critical Review of Ethnographic Analysis

The difference between these two techniques is transparent: in the case of open observation, the group of respondents knows that the researcher is conducting an analysis and is aware of its goals, whereas covert observation [...]
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Ethnographic Design: Types

The investigator is required to define the characteristics of the society under study. Abalos, argues that "critical ethnographic studies are a type of ethnographic research in which the author is interested in advocating for the [...]
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Ethnographic Design: Characteristics

According to Abalos, "ethnography is the in depth study of naturally occurring behavior within a culture or a social group; it seeks to understand the relationship between culture and behavior, with culture referring to beliefs, [...]
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Selfhood in C. Laderman’s and C. Levi-Strauss’s Works

His books include The Raw and the Cooked, The Effectiveness of Symbols, The Savage Mind, Structural Anthropology and Totemism. Laderman describes her feelings under the trance in such a way: As the vibrations of the [...]
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Thinking Anthropologically by Salzman and Rice

In the book, the authors urge learners to acknowledge the anthropological approach of perceiving their environment. In the chapter, the authors address the learners and the instructors in different sections.
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Origin of Human Races

According to Wallace it is true that the animals change their physical and internal make up to conform with the changes in the environment in which they live. Wallace gave priority to the origin of [...]
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A Qualified Ability to Survive

Newton was the fourth nominee that was not considered to survive. An ability to have creativity was not observed in Mrs.Dane.
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Jason Hickel: How Degrowth Will Save the World

Instead, it is a philosophy of life that manifests itself in the attitude towards things and the ability to interact with them. The key to a sustainable and conscious society is the rational use of [...]
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The Study of the Anthropology of Food

The study of the anthropology of food integrates historical and anthropological perspectives with current social challenges in the systems of food production and consumption.
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Deeply Rooted in the Present by Kenny: Book Review

The study of this work contributed to the development of the science of anthropology and theoretical approaches related to it, as well as provide an understanding of the formation of the culture and identity of [...]
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  • Words: 546

The Biological Attributes of Humans

Considering that bipedal primates inhabited Africa, the heat dissipation perspective demonstrates that bipedalism was necessary for the creatures to overcome the region's high temperatures.
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  • Words: 275

Anthropology: Pre-Agriculture Diet

The assumed advantage of consuming human flesh in the prehistoric era might be the satisfaction of the cultural and ritual needs of the people, as well as a means of their survival in turbulent times.
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  • Words: 1156

Separation of Humans From Nonhumans

The first problem that is important to consider in the topic of separating people from nonhumans is their misunderstanding of the processes in nature due to the distancing from it.
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Anthropology: The Scope of Research

The former confidence of the world scientific community that the coming century will be the time of flourishing human science is being replaced by growing skepticism. What is the meaning of human life in the [...]
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Anthropology and the Nacirema Group

The Nacirema group is recognized as belonging to the field of cultural anthropology through the analysis of publications; this is because they carried out practices such as piercing the flesh with sharp objects and scraping [...]
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Autoethnography: “Black” Taxes in South Africa

My brief analysis of the academic literature reveals the significance of the black tax problem, the consequence of which is the compulsion to work harder and a marked decline in the quality of life for [...]
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2446

Water Contamination Issue in Medical Anthropology

The role of water is so important that any economic or political disturbance can result in the worsening health problems of the population. The most recent and evident example of the failure in disease management [...]
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  • Words: 829

Autoethnography of a Coffee Shop

As I began my observation, I felt excited to see whether I would see anything new since I am a frequent customer and usually pay attention to the details.
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  • Words: 385

Blade Runner Through Lens of Anthropology

This paper investigates the movie from the perspective of anthropology in an attempt to uncover the connections between human anthropology and Blade Runner's repercussions and reflections on replicants. Obviously, superiority results in the enslavement or [...]
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2247

Anthropological Reflection on Witchcraft

According to the article, the practice of spirituality is associated with poverty and ignorance in the Dogondoutchi region, while Islam corresponds to power and respect.
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  • Words: 614

Cultural Anthropology in Africa, Mongolia, Middle East

Therefore, the methods of administration, the legal regime, and the observance of human rights in the colonies differed. Global neo-colonialism set the task of eliminating the sovereignty of all countries of the planet outside the [...]
  • Pages: 3
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Anthropological Context of Pluriverse

The different practices and multiple dimensions of people's socio-economic approaches to life have frequently exacerbated the existence of multiple contexts to life that promote the ideology of pluriverse.
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1642

Kwaio’s Dogmatic Forces in Their Resistance

First, there is a parody in a literal sense flowing through the Kwaio works, a mostly purposeful replication of the oppressors' semiology, used as a sarcastic tactic of resistance.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 295

Critique of the ACPO Policy: Disaster Victim

There is often a lack of understanding that identifying individual bodies and even bodily fragments is the first and perhaps most crucial step in starting and supporting the grieving process that allows families and the [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 652
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Ethics of Napoleon Chagnon’s Yanomami Tribe Study

More specifically, one of the most known anthropologists used a controversial approach in studying the everyday life of the Venezuelan tribe Yanomami concerning the falsification of facts and misinterpretation of cause-and-effect relationships.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 589

Anthropology: Definition and Purposes

It goes without saying that all three fields in the social sciences, psychology, sociology, and anthropology, play a vital role in the understanding of human beings, and their examination is highly essential and engaging.
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  • Words: 283

Anthropology: Chimpanzees Have a Culture

In the popular article, the author argues that chimpanzees have a culture similar to human beings. In the article, Call and Tennie argue that chimpanzees have a culture through inventions and observation, which scientists do [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1389

Indigenization of Australian Libraries

Australian libraries have, in some ways, contributed to the misrepresentation and underserving of the Indigenous community, which has overarchingly perpetuated levels of distrust towards information systems.
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 12901

Anthropology. Racial Quota System in Education

The introduction of the Racial Quota System in education as a form of Affirmative Action not only provides black and poor students with the opportunity to get specialization in the Brazilian universities but also challenges [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 614

Cultural Anthropology, Gender and Kinship

Gender is the cultural construction of whether one is female, male, or something else. Gender stratification is the unequal distribution of social value by gender.
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  • Words: 1125
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Key Terms in Anthropology

Firstly, it provides the field of paleoanthropology with precious fossils to analyze the hominin species. This complicated process leads to the creation of a face that combines both human-like and primitive traits.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 839
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Anthropological Concepts: Key Points

In addition to the universal ranking, there is universal interdependence among the different elements of the chain and this is what holds the elements together.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1139

Pre-Darwinian Theories and Hominids in Africa

One of them is the one of catastrophism established by the French scientist George Cuvier; this theory suggested the idea that all species that died in the result of some natural phenomena and catastrophes were [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 563

Humoral Medicine in Latin America

It was founded by the Roman and Greek physicians who said that if the human body experienced a deficiency of the four major body fluids, the health and temperament of a person would deteriorate. The [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 581

Modern East Asians and Denisovans Share Genetic Material

The researchers did not explain the specific mode of delivery of the genetic material through hybridization thus it must be assumed that the Denisovans in Siberia were able to travel to Southeast Asia and intermarry [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1671

Beginnings of Life: Different Approaches

However, the fundamental question lies in the paradox of the beginning of Life on earth. It dealt in particularities of life, and after identifying the particularities of the life of organisms, the next step was [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1428

Al Garhoud Community Overview

The culture of Al Garhoud people is considered one of the most distinctive cultures in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as in the Middle East.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1081
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Tuareg Community Family Life

Some of the aspects about the Tuareg family life evident in the two books include nomadism, division of labour, and the value of milk.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 485

A New Perspective on the Myth of Creation

First, they create the sun, the moon, and the stars, then, the Earth and the other planets. H n, then, invented the words to describe the creation to Hann, putting words in music and music [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 653
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Tourism Management as an Ethnographic Theme

Thus, as it is stated in some of the interview, tourists generally expect the attitude of obeisance towards them, and the workers of the tourism sphere feel themselves as the obedient servants.
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Human History and Anthropology: Harris, Diamond, Linden

In the book, Eugene Linden The Winds of Change, Linden demonstrates that sudden climate change characterized by variations of the amount of ice, especially from Greenland was the major significant cause of the collapse of [...]
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