Anthropology

The Division of Anthropology is concerned with all aspects of human behavior, past, present, and with an eye to the future. Our work is biological, archaeological, socio-cultural and linguistic.

The Department of Anthropology, a part of the National Museum of Natural History, maintains ethnographic, archaeological, and human biological collections numbering over two and a half million items and the nation’s premier archives devoted to anthropological manuscripts and film. Anthropology collections document world cultures past and present and the history of anthropology. Information on collections, conservation, and research is available through the databases and web pages listed below.

The Anthropology Department maintains a diverse series of human anatomical specimens, primarily osteological, that are used for studies in biological anthropology (skeletal biology, paleopathology, human variation), medical research, forensic investigations, and questions concerning human origins. Nearly 33,000 specimens represent populations throughout the world.

The research conducted by the Department of Anthropology staff covers a wide range of topics and areas of the world. Topics include human-environmental interactions, population migration, origins of domestication, linguistics, and forensic anthropology, among many others.

American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.

An open-access digital archive of all known cuneiform tablets from ancient Mesopotamia dating between 3350 BCE and 100CE. Over 200,000 so far.

This web portal provides access to the digital corpora of archaeological archives, collections, and publications for Great Britain and Ireland.

An international digital repository for the digital records of archaeological investigations.

Official website for the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

This project is designed to enhance the teaching and learning of anthropology by encouraging teachers to help students explore the relationships between field data and analysis as reported in monographs and journal articles.

Open Context is a free, open access resource for the electronic publication of primary field research from archaeology and related disciplines.

The National Archeological Database—a computerized communications network for the archeological and historic preservation community—was established to improve access to information on archeological activities nationwide. This internationally recognized resource is maintained through a cooperative agreement between NPS and the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) at the University of Arkansas.

Follow online as ancient civilizations are unearthed. Get full access to frequently updated field notes, Q&A with archaeologists, personal journals, and more!

Gathers information about archaeological research and its contributions to science and to humanity.