A popular annual request from our members is for information about how we are growing our culture collections in our eHRAF databases. Below is a brief summary of what cultures and traditions we have added or updated in the past year, followed by a preview of what we will be working on analyzing throughout 2021 to include in eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF Archaeology.
Please note that the collections added to World Cultures are part of the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS), which was created by George Peter Murdock and Douglas R. White in 1969. The SCCS consists of 186 anthropologically described societies chosen by the sample’s creators to be representative of the world’s cultures. The sample tried to minimize cultural relatedness, so only one society was chosen from a given culture area. Each society is pinpointed in time and space. Researchers coding variables for this sample are expected to adhere to the specified time and place focus. With these additions, eHRAF World Cultures currently has about 97% of the SCCS societies in the database. We are planning to add the remaining SCCS societies to eHRAF World Cultures soon.
Collections Added in 2020
| Database | OWC | Tradition/Culture | Region | # of Documents | Notes |
| Archaeology | AF45 | Yellow River Early Neolithic | Asia | 1 | (tradition summary added) |
| Archaeology | AF48 | Middle-Upper Yellow River Middle Neolithic | Asia | 13 | |
| Archaeology | AF51 | Yellow River Late Neolithic | Asia | 23 | |
| World Cultures | AD08 | Atayal | Asia | 1 | (culture summary added) |
| World Cultures | AE15 | Han Chinese | Asia | 10 | |
| World Cultures | AM28 | Rmeet | Asia | 8 | |
| World Cultures | AM35 | Rhade | Asia | 4 | |
| World Cultures | AR20 | Mara | Asia | 2 | |
| World Cultures | AT03 | West Punjabi | Asia | 15 | |
| World Cultures | ES14 | British (1485-1603) | Europe | 5 | |
| World Cultures | FI21 | Masa | Africa | 8 | |
| World Cultures | FN32 | Luguru | Africa | 15 | |
| World Cultures | MF07 | Israelites | Middle East | 17 | |
| World Cultures | MQ08 | Fur | Africa | 7 | |
| World Cultures | MS11 | Fulani | Africa | 15 | |
| World Cultures | NA07 | Eyak | North America | 3 | |
| World Cultures | ND14 | Slavey | North America | 9 | |
| World Cultures | NG05 | Huron/Wendat | North America | 18 | |
| World Cultures | NO08 | Natchez | North America | 1 | (culture summary added) |
| World Cultures | NR26 | Southern Coast Salish | North America | 14 | |
| World Cultures | NU30 | Popoluca | Middle America and the Caribbean | 4 | |
| World Cultures | OA08 | Sama-Bajau | Asia | 14 | |
| World Cultures | OJ82 | Kimam | Oceania | 1 | (culture summary added) |
| World Cultures | OO17 | Sa | Oceania | 1 | (culture summary added) |
| World Cultures | OQ12 | Bau Fijians | Oceania | 8 | |
| World Cultures | RJ01 | Armenia | Asia | 6 | |
| World Cultures | RV03 | Yukaghir | Asia | 8 | |
| World Cultures | SE06 | Amahuaca | South America | 1 | (culture summary added) |
| World Cultures | SK04 | Gran Chaco | South America | 1 | (culture summary only) |
| World Cultures | SK15 | Enxet and Enlhet | South America | 1 | (culture summary added) |
| World Cultures | SK16 | Ayoreo | South America | 1 | (culture summary only) |
| World Cultures | SN02 | Botocudo | South America | 1 | (culture summary added) |
| World Cultures | SP26 | Xavante | South America | 7 |
Cultures and Traditions Projected for 2021
| Database | OWC | Tradition/Culture | Region | # of Documents | Notes |
| Archaeology | AF51 | Yellow River Late Neolithic | Asia | (tradition summary added) | |
| Archaeology | AF52 | Yellow River Bronze Age | Asia | 8 | |
| Archaeology | FA70 | West African Late Stone Age | Africa | 7 | |
| Archaeology | FA73 | West African Neolithic | Africa | 21 | |
| Archaeology | FA77 | West African Regional Development | Africa | 22 | |
| World Cultures | AE15 | Han Chinese | Asia | 38 | (documents added) |
| World Cultures | AI04 | Uyghur | Asia | 11 | |
| World Cultures | AR20 | Mara | Asia | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | AT03 | West Punjabi | Asia | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | AV04 | Kashmiri | Asia | 13 | |
| World Cultures | AW06 | East Punjabi | Asia | 8 | |
| World Cultures | FH26 | Banen | Africa | 4 | |
| World Cultures | FI21 | Masa | Africa | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | FT07 | Yao | Africa | 19 | |
| World Cultures | FX14 | Lovedu | Africa | 6 | |
| World Cultures | MF07 | Israelites | Middle East | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | MN06 | Bilen | Africa | 2 | |
| World Cultures | MQ08 | Fur | Africa | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | MR08 | Nubians | Africa | 18 | |
| World Cultures | MS11 | Fulani | Africa | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | N008 | North American Rom | North America | 19 | |
| World Cultures | NA07 | Eyak | North America | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | ND14 | Slavey | North America | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | NQ14 | Hidatsa | North America | 10 | |
| World Cultures | NR26 | Southern Coast Salish | North America | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | NT20 | Washo | North America | 28 | |
| World Cultures | NU30 | Popoluca | Middle America and the Caribbean | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | NW10 | Quiché Maya | Middle America and the Caribbean | 9 | |
| World Cultures | OA08 | Sama-Bajau | Oceania | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | OH18 | Tobelorese | Oceania | 13 | |
| World Cultures | OQ12 | Bau Fijians | Oceania | (culture summary added) | |
| World Cultures | RF10 | Russians | Europe | 37 | |
| World Cultures | SH06 | Yaghan | South America | 2 | (documents added) |
| World Cultures | SK04 | Gran Chaco | South America | 2 | |
| World Cultures | SP26 | Xavante | South America | (culture summary added) |
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