Yurt Life

Yurt Life

Yurt residents, Son-köl, Kyrgyzstan (image copyright Nathaniel Pearson) On the map, Son-köl is just a blue blot in the rugged contours of central Kyrgyzstan. But…

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How to Find Poetry in Shiraz

How to Find Poetry in Shiraz

Schoolgirls at the tomb of Sa’di, Shiraz, Iran (image copyright Nathaniel Pearson) Just before it happens I’m on a gritty street, where the bazaar’s damp…

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St. Louis to Samarkand — A Tale of Two Chromosomes

St. Louis to Samarkand — A Tale of Two Chromosomes

In fabled Samarkand I met my match. Don’t worry, nobody got hurt — it turns out we’re family. Let me explain. In 1996, Spencer Wells…

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Human genetic fieldwork in Iran

Human genetic fieldwork in Iran

Rockface tombs, near Takht-e Jamshid (image copyright Nathaniel Pearson) The Eurasia ’98 sampling expedition collected about 120 DNA samples from residents of three major Iranian…

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