Department of Anthropology

Graduate Student, Jessica Joganic with research subjects (Papio anubis) on the Medical Campus by Ali Heller

Carved alabaster vessel (shown from two sides) found in the burial chamber of the tomb of Lady K’abel

Carved alabaster vessel found in the burial chamber of Lady K’abel at the site of El Perú-Waka’; Photo credit: El Peru Waka Regional Archaeological Project (2).

A farmer in the village of Kalleda in Andhra Pradesh, India squints while spray from a mixture of pesticide and stream water flies into his mouth and eyes. He is spraying Bt cotton for non-target pests. Photo by Andrew Flachs.

Graduate Photography Contest Honorable Mention: A young Kazakh pastoralist watching his cattle graze on Iron Age kurgan burial mounds with the Tian Shan mountain range in the background. Photo by Jacob Winter.

About the Department

How, when, and where did human life arise, how have environmental conditions and social institutions shaped human society, what is the role of learned versus innate behavior, and how are humans adapting to rapidly changing contexts? These, among many, are the sorts of questions anthropologists ask. Anthropology, the appreciation of and commitment to understanding all aspects of human diversity past and present, is devoted to the proposition that the diversity among humankind is comprehensible and enriching.