Anthropology

  • Selam being extracted from the matrix
  • Selam fossil, found at Dikika, Ethiopia
  • Stone tools found at Dikika, Ethiopia
  • The Elkus Collection
  • Mayan effigy jar CAS 0227-0030
  • Japenese tetsubin
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We bring human-environmental dynamics and collaborative historical ecology to life through active research and a permanent collection of nearly 17,000 unique artifacts.

The Department of Anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences was established in 1900, and, in keeping with the tenet of the early Academy, focused on Native California. Today, the research collection encompasses ethnographic and archaeological materials from around the globe, documenting the diversity of human cultures and the ways in which our species has adapted to Earth's varying environments.

 

Collection survivors fromthe 1906 earthquake.

Collections

Our collections span the globe, with current strengths highlighting California basketry, the U.S. Southwest, and the Pacific Islands.

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Search the database
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Hominin Cast Collection

Cast Collection

The Department of Anthropology houses a collection of hominin fossil and comparative casts that are available for reference by visiting researchers and students.

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Selam cranium

Projects

Learn more about our areas of focus—active, ongoing research that seeks to answer some of the biggest questions in the field. 

Explore our work
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Dikika research site

Expeditions

See where our research takes us and learn about some of the exciting discoveries we've made thus far.

In the field
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Anthropology staff

Staff

Members of the Department of Anthropology cover a range of academic foci and expertise.

Meet department staff
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Anthropology FAQs

How to access our collections, donate objects, apply for an internship, and more.

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Anthropology History

Learn more about our department and its history at the Academy.

Department overview
Anthropology Publications

Our department publishes articles in scientific journals, contributes chapters to books, and produces select collection catalogs.

Explore recent writings

More to explore

Dig into these articles, news updates, and blog posts related to the Academy's anthropology work.
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A group of people hovers around several burning piles of leaves and twigs, in a shaded forest clearing with blue skies in the background.
Sparking Regeneration With Indigenous Science
Discover the age-old, ecologically important tradition of cultural burning with the North Fork Mono Tribe.
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Gregg Castro and Shannon Tushingham pose in front of a redwood round in the Giants of Land and Sea exhibition in Cal Academy.
Meet the Writer and Activist Fusing Indigenous and Western Science
Gregg Castro of the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone champions Indigenous perspectives in cultural institutions.
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Cafe Ohlone board and tasting table setting

A table setting at Cafe Ohlone in Berkeley, California.

Native American Heritage Month

The Academy is celebrating Native American Heritage Month by highlighting the work of local Indigenous groups.