Department of Anthropology

A Brief History

Anthropology is the comparative, evolutionary and historical study of human and non-human primates. Our internationally respected faculty takes a theoretically-driven, empirically-informed approach to the discipline. Our core mission is to discover and communicate new knowledge
through basic and strategic research, the foundation from which we educate and train scientifically literate and intellectually engaged citizens and equip them with relevant skills for the modern world.

The University of Utah has a long history of anthropological and archaeological research. Henry Montgomery, professor of natural history, began academic archaeological research at the University in the 1890s. In 1914, Byron Cummings founded the Department of Archaeology. In
1917, a joint Department of Anthropology and Sociology was created, and in 1926 Anthropology became a separate department, though briefly reunited with Sociology from 1933 through 1948. The Department grew significantly during the 1960s and 70s and enrollments increased. At that
time, the faculty approached its present size (15 FTE) and a PhD program was added to the curriculum. A shift to an evolutionary and empirical focus emerged in the mid-1980s. This continues today: the department is recognized for its unified scientific and evolutionary approach to major
questions in the discipline and cognate fields, including biology, environmental science, geology, and human genetics.

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Donations help support scholarships and fellowships for deserving anthropology students and make possible guest lectures by leaders in the field.

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Undergraduate Programs

Anthropology Major

Anthropology is the comparative, evolutionary and historical study of human, and nonhuman primates.

EXPLORE MAJORS AND EMPHASES

Anthropology Minor

Because we study all aspects of humans, anthropology is holistic and inter-disciplinary and anthropologists work hand-in-hand with other sciences such as biology, physiology, sociology and psychology—just to name a few.

Integrative Human Biology Minor (IHB)

Engage in research in human form and function, human evolution and biological variation, human behavior, and the roles humans play in local and global ecosystems. Students will acquire the broad but rigorous background they will need as professionals in the 21st-century health sciences and many other fields that engage directly with aspects of human adaptation and welfare.

EXPLORE ANTHROPOLOGY MINORS

Have a question about anthropology? Ready to declare?

BOOK AN ADVISING APPOINTMENT

GRADUATE DEGREES

M.S. in Anthropology & M.A. in Anthropology

Graduate students engage in cutting edge research that crosses disciplinary and sub-disciplinary lines to address questions about human biology, behavior, culture and evolution.

EXPLORE MASTERS PROGRAMS

Ph.D. in Anthropology

Our Department takes a theoretically-driven, empirically-informed perspective focusing on the following specific areas of expertise: archaeology, genetics, behavioral ecology, paleoanthropology, hunter-gatherer behavior, and human and non-human primate behavior.

EXPLORE THE PHD

Laboratories

Archaeological Center

Grants

Upcoming Events

November Colloquium Speaker

Adrian Bell

Professor & Chair, Anthropology, University of Utah

"How Do Group Identities Evolve? New Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Insights from a Cross-Cultural Case Study"

Thursday, November 6th

2:45 pm

GC 5750

Click here to RSVP for Zoom link

"How Do Group Identities Evolve? New Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Insights from a Cross-Cultural Case Study"

Anthropology has applied the group concept in useful ways, but not always without controversy. While some cultural variation may be explained by a group label, individual behaviors may deviate substantially from the supposed group norm. Relatedly it is easy to assume that group norms exist and play a role, where in many contexts groups are difficult to define or individuals primarily navigate a multi-ethnic world. Group boundaries may be porous, identities may be embedded, and group signals and cultural variation may be shaped by how individuals engage with several identities, not just one. To better appreciate and test generative mechanisms behind this fundamental complexity of human society, my collaborators and I have developed theoretical, statistical, and empirical methods that predicts and maps the nature of group labeling. In this talk I provide early insights into this work, arguing that there is group-breaking work left to do on as ubiquitous a question as “to whom do I belong?".

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