Anthropology

What is Anthropology?
Anthropology is the study of humankind combining the approaches of biological and social sciences. Its focus is on human beings as members of the animal kingdom and as members of a society. Anthropologists do not limit their study to any particular group of people or to any one period of history. Anthropologists place emphasis on comparative studies and attempt to isolate and define laws or principles that govern the formation and development of human societies and cultures.

Why Take Anthropology?
Here is a unique opportunity for students to enroll in courses rarely offered in high school. Anthropology’s holistic approach to the study of human behavior is an important tool for understanding cultures other than our own, for understanding today’s changing world, and for gaining empathy for others. The capacity to think systematically about our nature, our societies and the whole career of our species can go a long way towards understanding and resolving today’s human conflicts. Today we are faced with the demise of cultural and linguistic diversity in the world. The ecological and botanical knowledge of traditional peoples lost every year is but one example. For this reason we should protect and document this diversity. While drastic cultural change may be inevitable for traditional cultures, the least we can do is ease their entry into the modern world.  

Anthropology Department
Anthropology courses at Phillips Exeter Academy cover three sub-disciplines: ethnology, archaeology and biological anthropology. In addition, anthropological topics are included in a number of area courses offered in the History Department. This instructional program is supplemented by an extensive collection of ethnographic, archaeological and fossil specimens. The anthropology department sponsors archaeological and ethnographic research projects. The department consists of a classroom, museum room, office, lab and storage area.  Exhibits are displayed in the museum room and the hallway cabinets.