Celebrating the Vernal Equinox
Francine Barone The vernal equinox marks the beginning of Spring, representing the moment when the sun passes directly over the equator. This time of year is known for its many cultural and religious celebrations. For…
Author Archives: Francine Barone
Luck of the Irish: Folklore and fairies in Rural Ireland
By Francine Barone If the month of March has you seeing shamrocks, it might be a good time to brush up on your knowledge of Irish culture. The Rural Irish collection in eHRAF World Cultures…
Coping with Uncertainty: Oracles, Divination and Decision-Making
By Francine Barone That we live in uncertain times is almost certainly an understatement. Every day, news headlines feature an unprecedented use of the term “unprecedented” to describe events as they occur around the world.…
Laissez les bon temps rouler: Mardi Gras and Cajun Traditions in eHRAF
By Francine Barone Mardi Gras has become synonymous with the culture and lifestyle of New Orleans and southern Louisiana. “Fat Tuesday” or mardi gras in French, is the name given to the feast day that…
HRAF Academic Quarterly, Vol 2025-04
HRAF Academic Quarterly, Vol 2025-04 By Francine Barone This summary features some of the exciting research accomplished using HRAF data from the eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF Archaeology databases as well as Explaining Human Culture…
Home Truths: An Anthropology of House and Home
By Francine Barone Settlements are central to human development, making shelter, dwellings, and residence patterns necessary foci of investigation in both anthropology and archaeology. This article seeks to address a related and easily overlooked aspect…
HRAF 2025 in Review & 2026 Preview
By Francine Barone Welcome to our 10th annual HRAF Year in Review, which will once again summarize news from the previous year as well as describe what you can expect to see from HRAF over…
HRAF Academic Quarterly, Vol 2025-03
HRAF Academic Quarterly, Vol 2025-03 By Francine Barone This summary features some of the exciting research accomplished using HRAF data from the eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF Archaeology databases as well as Explaining Human Culture…
New and Forthcoming Cultures and Traditions in eHRAF World Cultures & Archaeology (2025-2026)
Culture collections in the eHRAF databases are updated up to several times a year. Below is a brief summary of what cultures and traditions we have added or updated in eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF…
HRAF Academic Quarterly, Vol 2025-02
HRAF Academic Quarterly, Vol 2025-02 By Francine Barone This summary features some of the exciting research accomplished using HRAF data from the eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF Archaeology databases as well as Explaining Human Culture…