Anthropology

Anthropology
Anthropology students on a farm

Explore the Department of Anthropology

Anthropology is a field of visionaries, makers and collaborators, taking a critical, creative and holistic approach to the study of humankind. We teach hands-on courses in archaeology and socio-cultural, applied, biological and forensic anthropology, reflecting our faculty members’ research in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Central and Southeast Asia. Through coursework, fieldwork and study-abroad experiences, you’ll gain life-long learning skills that prepare you for success in cross-cultural understanding and communication, working for diverse organizations and tackling complex social issues in today’s global world. Our students are employed in a range of areas such as public health, business, international development, museums and education.
Anthropology bridges science and the humanities; it is an evolving field reflecting changing human life. This discipline is an intellectual home for students who have very broad and diverse interests that revolve around humans.  Traditionally defined by the four subfields of physical or biological anthropology, anthropological linguistics, socio-cultural anthropology, and archaeology, the discipline is directed to understanding how humans, as a species, live in groups and interact with other species. 

Programs of Study

Recent Stories

From a distance we see a circle of stones on a mountainside.

Anthropology Researcher Helps Unearth Major Site in Andes

Anthropology Researcher Helps Unearth Major Site in Andes

Circular plaza in Peru is one of earliest in Americas

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A scenic shot of Great Bay marshes with autumn foliage in the background.

Retracing Colonists’ Spread into Great Bay

Retracing Colonists’ Spread into Great Bay

Innovative technology sheds new light on English colonists’ movements across land and water

Article
Students walking on campus in winter

Gilman Scholarships Send Eight Students Abroad

Gilman Scholarships Send Eight Students Abroad

Recipients embark on international study journeys

Article
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  • Kyle Nord at Mayan site
    Classics: Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations and Anthropology Majors
    I have always been fascinated by ancient cultures and their influence on our modern lives. I have also always felt connected to the clues they have left behind in their literature, architecture and the material remains we now call artifacts. I always wanted to become an archaeologist and had a vague understanding of where I could go in that direction; however, after taking Ancient Greek Civilization with Dr. McMahon, as well as some anthropology classes, I realized I could combine both of these interests in my studies.
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    Anthropology Major
    Sometimes taking your time can lead to a direction you never considered taking. That was the case for Dariya Steele ’23. She entered UNH undeclared and tried on a few majors before settling on anthropology. “It took me awhile to find my place,” Steele says. “I took one anthropology class for a Discovery requirement, and I loved the professor and the topic, so I decided to explore it…
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  • Sarah Jarrar
    Anthropology and History Majors
    Originally from the small town of Homewood, Ala., Sarah Jarrar found a home at UNH as a sophomore transfer student in 2018. “I immediately felt welcomed by the faculty,” she says, “and was eager to learn more about what UNH had to offer.” A commuter student from Bow, NH, Jarrar has maximized her time as a Wildcat. A double major in
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  • Katie Titus with Amy Michael, lecturer in anthropology, and Gregory McMahon professor of classics, humanities and Italian studies
    Anthropology and History Majors
    Growing up in Sunapee, N.H., Katie Titus had a strong feeling she’d wind up at UNH. Both of her older brothers attended UNH, and the university met her chief criterion of being “not too far away to go home when I wanted to,” yet rife “with opportunities to study different subjects and see a bit of the world.” And see a bit of the world she did. A double major in anthropology and…
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    Anthropology and Sustainability Majors
    One of Caitlin Burnett’s ’20 fondest academic memories is taking Ethnographic Methods with Dr. Svetlana Peshkova. The professor told the class to find a tree in College Woods and describe it in every way possible. Caitlin not only felt and observed a tree, but also tasted it by eating a piece of bark. “If you’re a researcher, you can’t just observe; your whole body needs to be in it,” she…
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