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Cornell’s Department of Anthropology is one of the most respected programs in the world with a long tradition of innovation and a legacy of leadership in the discipline. The work of its faculty traces the human career from the emergence of the species to the contemporary global moment.
The Anthropology Collections include approximately 20,000 items representing human activity around the world from the Lower Paleolithic to the present. Archaeological and ethnographic materials are about equally represented.
Located in the basement of Olin Library (161 Ho Plaza), the Collections are open for visitors during the term on Mondays from 1-4 PM and by appointment on a first-come, first-served basis to classes and members of the public, including school groups. Contact curator Alison Rittershaus at akr73@cornell.edu in order to set up a visit that connects the collections with your group’s interests and learning goals. Rotating exhibit cases that showcase student research and Collections highlights are located outside of the Collaboratory and available to visit during Olin Library opening hours. Click here for more information on the Anthropology Collections.
The Cornell Department of Anthropology, as a separate entity, was formed in 1962. However, anthropology has been practiced at Cornell nearly from the founding of the university.
The department history page details our rich past, including the first century, the Cornell totem pole and the cross-cultural methodology project.
Stacey Langwick, associate professor of anthropology in the College of Arts & Sciences, will speak on "Healing in a Toxic World: Reimagining the Times and Spaces of the Therapeutic."
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Emma conducted ethnographic research in Milan to understand how perceptions of immigration shape the city’s social and spatial life.
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This month’s featured titles include short stories, a fantasy book for tweens, and a scholarly look at Carmen adaptations – all by Arts & Sciences alumni and faculty.
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The Einaudi Center welcomes the Southwest Asia and North Africa Program and four new program directors this fall.
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Open now through Dec. 31, the exhibit highlights findings from a four-year archaeological excavation of Ithaca’s St. James A.M.E. Zion Church conducted by Cornell faculty, students and Ithaca school children from 2021–2024.
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Kathryn March, professor emerita of anthropology, comments on the violent protests in Nepal.
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“What is happening to the kidneys of sugarcane workers is not a result of climate change. It is climate change": Anthropologist Alex Nading documents how environmental justice activists are addressing the epidemic.
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Best-selling writer and technology blogger Cory Doctorow will make the A.D. White Professor-at-Large program’s second dual-campus visit, ending his week at Cornell Tech in New York City. Four other professors will visit Cornell this fall.
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