Anthropology

Gullah: Sea Island culture and language of the Lowcountry Gullah The Gullah (also called Geechee) are African American communities from the coastal Lowcountry and Sea Islands of Georgia and South Carolina, noted for their creole language, crafts…

Gurjar (Gujjar): South Asian ethnic group — history, culture, distribution Gurjar Gurjar (Gujjar) are a diverse South Asian community historically linked to pastoralism, agriculture and early medieval polities. They speak Gojri, observe varied religions, and liv…

Gypsy — meanings, peoples, history, and cultural significance Gypsy Overview of the term “Gypsy,” its uses, the peoples commonly associated with it, origins and history, cultural expressions, and issues of identity and terminology.

Gyrwas: Anglo-Saxon fenland people of early medieval England Gyrwas Early Anglo-Saxon people on the western margins of the Fens, divided into Northern and Southern Gyrwas. Recorded in Bede and the Tribal Hidage, they controlled fenland resources an…

Habitants: Farmers of New France and the Seigneuries Habitants Habitants were the rural French-Canadian farmers of New France who worked seigneurial lands, adapted Indigenous technologies, and shaped the St. Lawrence valley's cultural and agri…

Haka: Māori ceremonial dance and chant Haka The haka is a traditional Māori ceremonial dance and chant from New Zealand, performed for welcome, challenge, celebration and remembrance, with distinct styles, movements and cult…

Hakka Hakka refers to a Han Chinese subgroup and their language, culture, migrations, architecture and global diaspora, known for distinct dialects, clan traditions and communal dwelling…

Hakka people (Kejia) — a Han Chinese subgroup Hakka people The Hakka are a Han Chinese subgroup known as Kejia, with a distinct language, clan-based culture and a history of migration across southern China and worldwide diaspora.

Hamitic hypothesis: history, claims, influence, and legacy Hamitic An overview of the Hamitic hypothesis—its origins, how it classified people by language and perceived ancestry, its role in colonial and scholarly thought, and why it is now discre…

Han Chinese The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group in China and the world, characterized by shared written language, diverse spoken varieties, long cultural continuity and large diaspori…

Hattians — ancient inhabitants of Hatti (central Anatolia) Hattians Pre‑Indo‑European people of central Anatolia whose Hattic language and religious practices shaped later Hittite culture. Known from archaeological sites and Hittite-era texts.

Hazara people An overview of the Hazara people: origins, language, religion, geography, history, culture and contemporary issues facing this Persian-speaking community from central Afghanistan a…

Hazaragi: the Persian dialect of the Hazara people Hazaragi Hazaragi is the variety of Persian traditionally spoken by the Hazara people of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. It is distinct in pronunciation, vocabulary and historical influence…

Hebrew people: origins, identity, and historical significance Hebrew people Overview of the Hebrews: ancient Semitic groups in the Near East, biblical traditions of descent, cultural and linguistic traits, the Exodus narrative, and their place in history a…

Herding: practice, history, and techniques for managing domestic animal groups Herding Herding is the practice of assembling, guiding and caring for groups of domestic animals. This article explains methods, historical background, modern uses, distinctions and notabl…

Heterosexuality Heterosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of a different sex or gender. This article outlines definitions, likely origins, so…

Hick (pejorative term) Hick Hick is an informal, usually pejorative term for a person perceived as rural, unsophisticated, or socially backward. This article explains its meaning, history, regional use, synon…

Hijra (South Asia): Gender-diverse communities, roles, and recognition Hijra (South Asia) Hijra denotes a long-standing gender-diverse community in South Asia, comprising people assigned male at birth who adopt feminine or nonbinary identities, with distinct social role…

Hindkowan (speakers of Hindko) Hindkowan Speakers of Hindko in northern Pakistan: a linguistic group often called Hindkowans, centered in Hazara and parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with diverse ethnic origins and…

Hispanic: definition, history, and distinctions Hispanic An encyclopedic overview of the term 'Hispanic': its origin in Hispania, contemporary meanings, the U.S. distinction from 'Latino', historical spread of Spanish language and cultur…

Hmong people and culture: languages, history, and global diaspora Hmong Overview of Hmong people and culture: origins in southern China, Hmong–Mien languages and scripts, clan traditions, textile and musical arts, migration history and global diaspora…

Hmong people: history, language, culture, and diaspora Hmong people The Hmong are an ethnolinguistic group from southern China with large communities across Southeast Asia and a global diaspora. This article summarizes their language, social struct…

Ho-Chunk (Winnebago): people, language, history, and modern nations Ho-Chunk Overview of the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) people: their Siouan language, historic homeland in Wisconsin, 19th‑century removals, two federally recognized tribes, economic development and…

Hobo (itinerant worker and migrant laborer) Hobo An itinerant worker who travels to find short-term employment and shelter, historically associated with freight-train travel and notable during the U.S. Great Depression.

Holocaust victims: groups, causes of death, and historical significance Holocaust victims Overview of who the Holocaust victims were, how and why they were targeted, methods of killing, national and social origins, and why remembrance and study remain essential.

Homeland: concept, identity and cultural territory Homeland A homeland is the territory with which a people or community has deep historical, cultural and emotional ties. This article explains its meanings, history, uses and distinctions.

Homesickness: causes, symptoms, history, and coping strategies Homesickness An accessible overview of homesickness: what it is, common causes and symptoms, brief historical context, groups at risk, and practical ways to prevent or ease it.

Hominid: definition, classification, evolution and distinctions Hominid Hominid refers to members of the family Hominidae (the great apes). This article explains the term’s changing use, its members, evolutionary traits, related terms and why taxonomy…

Hominid (2008 novel) by Klaus Ebner Hominid (novel) A concise encyclopedia article on Hominid, a 2008 prehistoric fiction novel by Austrian writer Klaus Ebner, its themes, setting in Central Africa, narrative approach and publicatio…

Hominidae (Great Apes): overview, anatomy, evolution and conservation Hominidae Hominidae, the great ape family, includes humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans. This article explains their traits, taxonomy, fossil history, distribution and conservation…

Hominin: the human branch of African apes and its fossil record Hominin Hominins are the primate group including modern humans and extinct species closer to us than to other living apes. This article summarizes defining traits, taxonomy, major fossils…

Hominina: the human subtribe in hominid taxonomy Hominina Hominina is a taxonomic subtribe used to group humans and closely related bipedal apes. This article explains its definition, traits, fossil record, taxonomy and the debates over h…

Homininae: the African great apes and the human lineage Homininae Homininae is the subfamily of Hominidae that groups humans, African apes (gorillas and chimpanzees) and their fossil relatives; it frames our understanding of human evolution and A…

Homo: the genus that includes modern humans Homo Homo is the genus of upright, bipedal primates that includes only modern humans today; it is defined by larger brains, tool use and distinctive skeletal changes tracked through the…

Homo antecessor — early human of Pleistocene Europe Homo antecessor Homo antecessor is an extinct human species known from Atapuerca (Spain), dated to about 1.2–0.8 million years ago. Its fossils combine primitive and modern features and include ev…

Homo cepranensis — Middle Pleistocene calvarium from central Italy Homo cepranensis Homo cepranensis is a provisional name for a Middle Pleistocene human calvarium found near Ceprano, Italy. Its mix of archaic and modern traits informs debates about European homin…

Homo erectus: an overview of the extinct early human species Homo erectus Homo erectus was an early human species with a wide geographic range and important role in human evolution, known for upright walking, stone tool use and early dispersal out of Afr…

Homo ergaster — an early African human ancestor Homo ergaster Homo ergaster was an early Pleistocene hominin from eastern and southern Africa often seen as the African form of H. erectus and an important ancestor of later Homo species.

Homo floresiensis — the 'hobbit' of Flores Island Homo floresiensis Homo floresiensis is a small-bodied hominin discovered on Flores, Indonesia. Known for its tiny stature and small braincase, it has reshaped views of human diversity and island evo…

Homo georgicus: early Homo from Dmanisi, Georgia Homo georgicus Homo georgicus is a name proposed for early Homo remains from Dmanisi, Georgia (c. 1.8 Ma). The fossils show a mix of primitive and derived traits and have major implications for e…

Homo habilis: an early Homo species and Oldowan toolmaker Homo habilis Homo habilis is an early species of Homo, known from East African fossils and simple stone tools (Oldowan). It shows a mix of ape-like and human-like traits and remains central to…

Homo heidelbergensis (Heidelberg Man) Homo heidelbergensis Homo heidelbergensis is an extinct human lineage from the Middle Pleistocene that lived in Africa and Eurasia and is often considered an ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans.

Homo luzonensis A recently identified extinct human species from Callao Cave on Luzon, Philippines, whose mosaic anatomy sheds light on island dispersal and diversity of late Pleistocene hominins.

Homo rhodesiensis (Broken Hill skull, Rhodesian Man) Homo rhodesiensis An archaic African hominin known from the Broken Hill (Kabwe) skull discovered in 1921. Features, dating challenges, and classification debates that link it to Homo heidelbergensis…

Homo rudolfensis Early Homo species known from the KNM-ER 1470 skull found at Koobi Fora (Lake Turkana), Kenya; named in 1986 and dated to about 1.9 million years, its classification remains debate…

Homo sapiens (modern humans) Homo sapiens Homo sapiens is the species name for modern humans: a bipedal, highly social primate characterized by large brains, language, culture, and a global presence shaped by migration and…

Homo sapiens idaltu — an extinct early subspecies of Homo sapiens Homo sapiens idaltu Homo sapiens idaltu is an extinct early subspecies of modern humans known from fossil crania discovered in Ethiopia and dated to about 154–160 thousand years ago; its study informs…

Homosexuality: definition, identity, history, and social context Homosexuality Overview of homosexuality: definitions, terminology, history, cultural variation, legal and health issues, prevalence, nonhuman occurrence, misconceptions, and advocacy within the…