With 11 full-time faculty members and 150 majors, we are one of the largest undergraduate-only anthropology departments in the United States. The Department of Anthropology is committed to a comparative and holistic approach to the study of the human experience. The anthropological perspective provides a broad understanding of the origins as well as the meaning of physical and cultural diversity in the world - past, present, and future. As such, the program in anthropology offers the opportunity for understanding world affairs and problems within the total context of the human experience and for constructing solutions to world problems which are firmly grounded in that context. Cultural anthropologists study people and their cultural practices and beliefs both within and outside of the United States as well as the topics of identity, power, inequality, and social praxis. Archaeologists study the material culture of past peoples in order to reconstruct their cultures, traditions, and practices in order to understand both what came before and how this may help us understand the present. Biological anthropologists study primate evolution and behavioral ecology, human biological variation, biocultural adaptations, bioarchaeology, and human paleontology. Together, we strive to understand both past and present variation in human societies. [ Why study anthropology? ]
News

Appalachian State's Archaeological research team ventures into Linville Gorge Wilderness
Dr. Alice Wright and Dr. Cameron Gokee lead an Archaeological research team into Linville Gorge Wilderness to discover archaeological sites. ...

Talk: Inscribing the Criminal Skin: Underworld Aesthetics and the Flesh of Post-Liberal Futures in Honduras
Dr. Jon Carter to give guest lecture at Princeton University: Jon Carter | Inscribing the Criminal Skin: Underworld Aesthetics and the Flesh of ...

Conference Talk: Ethnographic Evidence in the Americas
Dr. Jon Carter and Dr. Christina Sornito are presenting in the Annual Conference at the University of Florida, Center for Latin American Studies. ...

Talk: It climbs up inside of you, from the soles of the feet
Dr. Jon Carter to give guest lecture at University of Tennesee, Chattanooga and by zoom (registration link below)IT CLIMBS UP INSIDE OF YOU, FROM THE ...

Dr. Susan Keefe receives award from North Carolina Genealogical Society for Excellence
Dr. Susan Keefe has received an award from the North Carolina Genealogical Society for Excellence for her book Junaluska: Oral Histories of a Bla...

Anthropology faculty bring Hostile Terrain 94 Exhibit to Appalachian State University
August – September 2021Sponsored by the Dean’s Office of the College of Arts and Sciences Organized by the Department of AnthropologySpecial thank...
Featured Stories
-
Dr. Timothy J. Smith, helping sustain and revitalize Guatemala’s indigenous culture
Dr. Timothy J. Smith has developed a special relationship during the past 17 years with the predominantly indigenous town of Sololá, Guatemala.
Alumni spotlights
-
Caroline Noel ('13) wins NSF Fellowship for study at the University of Virginia
Appalachian State University alumnae, Caroline Noel ’13 has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program to continue her doctorate studies of sociology-cultural anthropology at the University of Virginia (UVA), where she plans to research how the Ainu of Japan are using digital media spaces to assert identity and counter dominant narratives of Japanese history. Noel, from Eden, N.C., holds a B.A. in Anthropology and a B.A. in English with a concentration in film studies.
Faculty spotlights
-
Dr. Thomas R. Whyte featured in Appalachian Today for toad research
Dr. Tom Whyte likes to dig in the dirt — and solve old mysteries while he’s at it. As a professor in Appalachian’s Department of Anthropology, he leads students in his Experimental Archaeology class to discover answers about precolonial life. [Read full story here]
Student spotlights
-
Anthropology major Gaby Romero helps to set COVID safety standards for students
Honors senior Gaby Romero, president of the Multicultural Greek Council at Appalachian and chief of staff of the university’s Student Government Association, joined other student leaders in setting safety standards for fraternity and sorority members. Romero is a multidisciplinary anthropology major pursuing minors in political science and economics and is also a Diversity Scholar.