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

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...

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Students walking on campus in winter

Gilman Scholarships Send Eight Students Abroad

Gilman Scholarships Send Eight Students Abroad

Recipients embark on international study journeys...

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Thompson Hall in winter

Passings: Emeritus of Anthropology Charles Bolian

Passings: Emeritus of Anthropology Charles Bolian

UNH remembers archaeologist dedicated to New Hampshire history...

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  • 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...
    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...
  • 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...
    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...
  • 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...
    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...
  • 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...
    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...
  • 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...
    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...

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