Frazier Hall, University of Kansas main campus, home of the Department of Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of past and present human societies

Anthropologists are concerned with the origin, history, and future of our own species, so the field is as diverse as people are. It is one of the most wide-ranging of the academic disciplines.

 
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Graduate programs Graduate programs
Why Anthropology? Why Anthropology?

Archaeology Roadshow 2026

Field trip course in Ancient Environments and People of the Colorado Plateau and includes Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Arches National Parks. Students will learn skills in paleoenvironmental and archaeological science while visiting sites in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. Email goebel@ku.edu to sign up for this 3-credit Fall Semester class. Enrollment is limited!!!
Archaeology Roadshow 2026

Courses and Faculty

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Courses

Course list
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Faculty

Department faculty

Spotlight on the department

Learn what's happening in the department through news and events, and check in on our alumni.

News

Faculty, students and alumni are making headlines for their work to advance the field of Anthropology.

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Events

Check out upcoming events and don't miss out on an opportunity to learn and connect with others in the department.

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Alumni and friends

We have amazing alumni and friends of the department. Catch up with stories about their accomplishments in their fields.

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Give back to KU Anthropology

Your gift will make a difference
Learn about how you can give back to the department.
Give to KU Anthropology

The KU Department of Anthropology recognizes that we are on the traditional territories of the Wazhazhe Manzhan (Osage), Washtáge Monzhán (Kaw/Kansa) & Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux). Lawrence is home to many Indigenous people from across what is now called the United States. Specifically, the University occupies land ceded in an 1825 treaty with the Kaw Nation and a later treaty with the Shawnee enforced in 1854.