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Anthropology

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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.
Established in 1873, only four years after the Museum's founding, the Division has acquired over 500,000 objects representing the peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific Islands. As one of the oldest departments of anthropology in the United States, our collections and archives are important resources for the history and continuing work of our discipline. [History of the Collections]
Over 250,000 objects have been digitally imaged and are accessible online through the Collections Database.

Database Collections Database Over 250,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects representing the peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific... Database Collections Highlights This section presents objects from the Textile Collection, as well as Mexico & Central America Virtual Hall, The Buddha Project,... Research Curatorial Research Curators in the Division of Anthropology conduct research around the world in the areas of Ethnology, Archaeology, and Biological... Article Collections Management Collections Management personnel work to preserve over 500,000 anthropological objects by providing them with stable environments,... Article Objects Conservation The primary function of the Objects Conservation Laboratory in the Division of Anthropology is to ensure the preservation of the... Database Exhibition History Artifacts from current and recent past exhibitions at AMNH which draw substantially from its collections. Database Expedition Photographs Photographs from Jesup North Pacific Expedition (1897-1902) and Lang-Chapin Congo Expedition (1909-1915). Database Archives Search archive finding aids, browse transcripts, drawings, catalogs by Frederick Starr, Berthold Laufer, and Otto Finsch. Database Publications Search bibliography of anthropological studies published by the Division of Anthropology such as Anthropological Papers, Bulletin,...

Featured Content

Article Tribute to Stan Freed April 2019. The Division of Anthropology lost a good friend when Stan Freed died in California on April 18, 2019. Cultural Programs Descendant Communities AMNH collaborative projects with indigenous peoples throughout the world.
Programs and Events News & Events The latest news and events from the Division of Anthropology: featured projects, important visits, significant publications. Special Project Conservation of Siberian Collections With the generous support of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and The Stockman Family Foundation, anthrop...

Generous support for creating digital images of artifacts, archival documents, and photographs has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, New York State Council on the Arts, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. [Digital Imaging in the Division of Anthropology]