Anthropology

Puerto Rican: identity, history, culture, and political status Puerto Rican People from Puerto Rico or their descendants; an overview of identity, language, cultural roots, historical background, citizenship, migration, and political distinctions.

Pygmy peoples: short-stature indigenous hunter-gatherer groups Pygmy peoples Collective term for several indigenous ethnic groups characterized by an unusually short average adult stature, found mainly in Central Africa and in isolated populations across As…

Q'eqchi' people: a Maya group of Guatemala and Belize Q'eqchi' people An overview of the Q'eqchi' (K'ekchi') Maya people: language, territory, history, culture, economy, and contemporary issues across Guatemala, Belize and neighboring countries.

Quadroon (historical racial classification) Quadroon Quadroon was a colonial-era term for a person with one-quarter African ancestry. Used in the Americas, it reflects historical racial hierarchies and legal/social categories now reg…

Quapaw (Ugahxpa): history, language, and modern community Quapaw The Quapaw (Ugahxpa) are a Siouan-speaking tribe historically centered along the lower Mississippi; today they are a federally recognized nation headquartered in Oklahoma with cult…

Quechuas (indigenous Quechua-speaking peoples of the Andes) Quechuas Quechuas are diverse indigenous peoples of the central Andes who speak varieties of the Quechua language family and live mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina and parts of Co…

Racism: definitions, forms, history, and responses Racism Overview of racism: meanings, mechanisms, historical examples, social and legal effects, and approaches to reduce racial injustice and inequality.

Rajput: Origins, clans, history and social role Rajput Rajputs are a historically prominent Kshatriya group of northern and western India, associated with warrior dynasties, distinct clan lineages, regional states and a lasting cultura…

Rapa Nui people: history, culture, and contemporary issues Rapa Nui people Indigenous Polynesian inhabitants of Rapa Nui (Easter Island): origins, language, moai monuments, environment, economy, and modern political and cultural challenges including land…

Rhinoplasty (Nose Surgery): Overview, Techniques, and Considerations Rhinoplasty Rhinoplasty alters the nose's shape, size or function for cosmetic or medical reasons. This article covers techniques, approaches, preoperative assessment, risks, recovery, history…

Right-handedness: prevalence, causes, and cultural effects Right-handedness Right-handedness describes a preference for using the right hand for skilled tasks. This article explains its characteristics, prevalence, neurological basis, cultural history, and…

Rites of Passage: Rituals Marking Life Transitions Rites of passage Rites of passage are ritual acts that mark and manage transitions in an individual's or group's social status, from birth and coming-of-age to marriage, death, and other life chang…

Rohingya people The Rohingya are a primarily Muslim, Indo‑Aryan ethnic group from Rakhine (Arakan) in Myanmar. Many are stateless and have faced repeated persecution and large‑scale displacement s…

Roma (Romani) people Roma people Ethnolinguistic group of Indo‑Aryan origin primarily in Europe, the Roma have diverse communities, dialects of the Romani language, a long history of migration, and a legacy of ric…

Romani language: overview, history, dialects, and linguistic features Romani language Romani (romani ćhib) is an Indo‑Aryan language of the Roma with many regional dialects, extensive borrowings, and a complex migration history across Eurasia.

Romansh language: an overview of Switzerland's Romance tongue Romansh language Romansh is a Romance language spoken mainly in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It includes several local varieties and a modern common written form, and is protected as one…

Ruanruan (Rouran): an extinct language of the Rouran Khaganate Ruanruan Ruanruan (Rouran) was the language of the Rouran Khaganate (4th–6th c. CE) in Mongolia and northern China. Its classification is disputed; recent inscriptions support a Mongolic af…

Rus' people (early medieval East Slavic–Varangian community) Rus' people The Rus' were an early medieval group whose leaders and name shaped Kievan Rus' and later identities of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, emerging from Norse–Slavic interaction and cont…

Ryukyuan languages: languages of the Ryūkyū Islands Ryukyuan languages A group of Japonic languages spoken in the Ryūkyū Islands (Amami, Okinawan, Miyako, Yaeyama, Yonaguni). Distinct from mainland Japanese and regarded as endangered with ongoing revi…

Ryukyuan people: history, language, culture, and contemporary issues Ryukyuan people Indigenous inhabitants of the Ryūkyū Islands with distinct languages, history as the Ryukyu Kingdom, rich cultural traditions (music, textiles, religion) and contemporary concerns…

Sahelanthropus tchadensis (Toumaï): an early hominin candidate Sahelanthropus Sahelanthropus tchadensis is an early fossil hominid from the Sahel region of Chad, dated to about 7 million years ago. Its anatomy and age make it central to debates about the hum…

Salarzai: a Pashtun clan of the Tarkani confederation in Bajaur and Kunar Salarzai Salarzai is a Pashtun clan of the Tarkani grouping, concentrated in valleys of Bajaur (Pakistan) and historically linked to Kunar (Afghanistan); known for pastoral agriculture, mar…

Salishan languages Indigenous language family of the Pacific Northwest with complex consonant systems, agglutinative morphology, several branches (Coast and Interior), and active revitalization effor…

Samaná English — English-based variety of the Samaná Peninsula Samaná English An English-derived speech variety spoken in the Samaná Peninsula of the Dominican Republic by descendants of 19th-century African American migrants, often treated as a creole or re…

Sámi languages A concise, neutral overview of the Sámi languages: classification, features, history, present status, and notable distinctions among the varieties spoken across northern Europe.

Sami people (Saami): Indigenous inhabitants of Sápmi Sami people The Sami are the Indigenous people of Sápmi in northern Europe, with distinct languages, cultures, and livelihoods—most famously reindeer herding—spread across Norway, Sweden, Finl…

Sámi people in Norway — culture, languages, history and rights Sami people of Norway Overview of the Sámi people living in Norway: geography, languages, traditional livelihoods, historical background, cultural revival and contemporary political rights.

Samoset — the Native American who greeted the Pilgrims at Plymouth (c.1590–1653) Samoset Samoset was an early Native American contact who spoke English to the Plymouth Pilgrims in 1621, opening communication between the colonists and local Indigenous peoples and helpin…

Saraiki people (Multani) — ethnic group of central and southern Pakistan Saraiki people Ethnic group concentrated in southern Punjab and adjacent regions of Pakistan, speaking the Saraiki language. Known for distinct dialects, Sufi cultural heritage, agricultural econ…

Sardinians People native to Sardinia, an island and autonomous region of Italy; noted for the Nuragic heritage, a distinct Sardinian language, enduring traditions, and a layered history of ex…

Sauk people: history, culture, and modern communities Sauk people The Sauk (Sac) are an Algonquian-speaking Eastern Woodlands people originally of the Great Lakes region. This article summarizes their culture, history, relocations, and contempora…

Saxons: a Germanic people, their history and legacy Saxons Overview of the Saxons: origins in northern Germany and the Netherlands, migration to Britain, language and culture, conversion to Christianity, and modern regional identities and…

Scots-Irish (Ulster Scots) — Origins, Migration, and Cultural Legacy Scots-Irish People of Scottish descent settled in Ulster and later emigrated to North America; covers origins in the Plantation of Ulster, language and religion, migration, cultural influence,…

Scottish Americans Americans with ancestry from Scotland or the Ulster-Scots; covers migration history, regional settlement, cultural influence, distinctions between Lowland Scots and Scots‑Irish, an…

Scottish people: identity, language, history and culture Scottish people An overview of the Scottish people—origins, languages, cultural traditions, historical development, and modern identity including distinctions like Scots, Scottish Gaelic, and dias…

Seminole: history, culture, and modern tribes Seminole The Seminole are Indigenous peoples of Florida and the southeastern United States, known for resistance to removal, distinct Muscogee and Mikasuki roots, and contemporary tribal na…

Semites (Semitic peoples and languages) Semites Overview of the term 'Semites': its linguistic origins, main language branches, historical background, modern scholarly usage, and distinctions between language family and ethnic l…

Semitic: linguistic family, peoples and cultural designation Semitic Semitic refers primarily to a family of related languages and, by extension, the historical peoples and cultures associated with them across the Near East and Horn of Africa.

Semitic languages: overview, features, history and modern distribution Semitic languages A concise encyclopedia entry on the Semitic branch of Afroasiatic languages: features, classification, writing systems, historical development, major languages and current status.

Settler A settler is someone who moves to a new place and establishes a permanent home; the term covers a range of motives, histories, and impacts, including settler colonialism and intera…

Shabono: traditional Yanomami communal dwelling of the Amazon Shabono A shabono is a large, temporary communal shelter of the Yanomami in the Amazon. Thatch and wood form a circular structure that organizes family space, social life, ceremonies and d…

Shaman A shaman is a cultural and spiritual practitioner who mediates between ordinary people and unseen powers, often acting as healer, diviner and ritual specialist across diverse indig…

Shan people: history, language, culture, and contemporary issues Shan people The Shan are a Tai-speaking ethnic group of mainland Southeast Asia, concentrated in Shan State (Myanmar). This article summarizes their language, religion, history, culture, and m…

Shane (given name and surname) Shane Shane is an Anglicized Irish personal name, usually male, derived from Seán (John). It appears as a first name and a surname and gained wider recognition through literature and fil…

Shawnee — Native American people of the Central and Eastern Woodlands Shawnee Overview of the Shawnee: language, social divisions, history, cultural practices, and modern tribal status, with links to further resources.

Sherpa: Himalayan people, culture, and role in mountaineering Sherpa The Sherpa are an ethnic group from Nepal and the high Himalaya, known for Tibetan cultural roots, high‑altitude skills, the Sherpa language, and their central role guiding climber…

Shina language: an overview of the Dardic tongue of Gilgit‑Baltistan Shina language Shina is a Dardic (Indo‑Aryan) language spoken by the Shin people of Gilgit‑Baltistan and neighbouring valleys. It comprises several regional dialects and has an oral literary trad…

Sicilians: People, Language and Culture of Sicily Sicilians People native to Sicily, an autonomous Italian region. Sicilians have a distinct language and culture shaped by millennia of Mediterranean influences and a wide diaspora.