ABSTRACT
This chapter presents two case studies of pseudoscience in cultural anthropology. The first, the study of the Yanomamo Native Americans by Napoleon Chagnon, shows how cultural and cognitive biases can lead highly qualified anthropologists to problematic conclusions. The second, the work of Carolos Castaneda, is a case of an anthropologist presenting fictional accounts as academic anthropology, essentially a hoax. These case studies are placed in the context of the epistemology of cultural anthropology.
