About

What is anthropology?

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

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Kansas focuses on three main subdisciplines of anthropology:

• Archaeology
• Biological anthropology
• Sociocultural anthropology

Archaeology is concerned with studying the human past based on the material culture left behind. Biological or physical anthropology is concerned with human evolution and variation. Sociocultural anthropology is concerned with analyzing behaviors and describing contemporary and historical cultures. Applied anthropologists employ their subdisciplinary skills outside college and university settings.