• NMNH Home ›
• Research & Collections ›
• Department of Anthropology

Welcome to
The Department of Anthropology

Department of Anthropology Staff, 1904,Smithsonian Institution Archives,NAA-42012

Anthropology is the study of human beings and societies in the past and present. The research conducted by the Department of Anthropology staff covers a wide range of topics and areas of the world. Some of the research topics include human-environmental interactions, population migration, origins of domestication, linguistics, and forensic anthropology.

Department of Anthropology Staff, 2007 Photo by Chip Clark

Current News: HSFA Ju/'hoan Bushman Collection Added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register

The John Marshall Ju/'hoan Bushman Film and Video Collection, 1950-2000, held in the Anthropology Department's Human Studies Film Archives, has been added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. The Marshall collection was one of 35 items chosen for its exceptional value as part of world documentary heritage. This designation places it within the esteemed company of the Diaries of Anne Frank, the Magna Carta, and League of Nations Archives. The collection is only the fourth documentary property held in a United States archive or library to be added to the Memory of the World Register.

New to website: Staff Video Interviews: Behind the Scenes Look at Anthroplogists at Work

Want to know more about Anthropology at the
National Museum of Natural History?

Sign up for E-News for announcements about upcoming anthropology exhibits, departmental events, and staff publications.

Anthropolog, the department's quarterly newsletter, reports on the activities of our research, collections, and outreach programs and staff. Past issues can be viewed online.

 

Upcoming Deadlines:

Project Archaeology Online Professional Development Course and Leadership Academy

Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology

Recent Publications:

AnthroNotes, A National Museum of Natural History Publication for Educators celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

The Fall 2009 issue contains articles on Archaeology and Contemporary Environmental Issues, Simulating the past to explore the future, and Changing Cultures and Climate in the Arctic. In honor of our 30th anniversary, Harper Collins is offering a 50% discount on the AnthroNotes compendium (see page 19 of the fall issue).

Sign up for the electronic version.

Recent Exhibitions:

web exhibition:
A Million Feet of Film / A Lifetime of Friendship: the John Marshall Ju/'hoan Bushman Fim and Video Collection 1950-2000.

Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th Century Chesapeake is an exploration of the human skeleton, revealing what forensic scientists can learn about a person’s age, ancestry, sex, and cause of death by examining the bones. Colonists of Jamestown, Virginia, and St. Mary’s City, Maryland, are the focus of a special forensic investigation.

[ TOP ]