Science: Gods & Fishhooks

Snug as bugs in the matted jungle of Brazil's Matto Grosso, a state twice as big as Texas with a population little more than that of Houston, lives an Indian tribe called the Yawalapiti. Last summer the Yawalapiti had a colossal surprise, concerning which Vincent M. Petrullo of the University of Pennsylvania Museum, anthropologist of last year's Matto Grosso Expedition (TIME, Dec. 21 et ante) last week issued a monograph.

The Yawalapiti, a primitive, vegetable-eating, pot-bellied folk were minding their daily affairs in their village on a...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!