Departmental Facilities and Resources
As the only anthropology degree granting program in the state,
the Department of Anthropology maintains unique resources and
facilities for our undergraduate and graduate majors. In addition,
anthropology students have access to other campus-wide resources
and facilities during their course of study.
Click here
for an image of Garry Kerr teaching his Facial Reconstruction class
Departmental Resources Table of Contents
Return to Student Guide Table of Contents
Archaeological Facilities
The Department of Anthropology has excellent facilities in
which to conduct archaeological research. Research and study areas
are maintained by the faculty and their teaching assistants. These
areas are available for use. Aside from the departmental
resources, the University of Montana and the surrounding community
has computer labs, archives, and other resources that are available
to students.
Return to Departmental Resources Table of
Contents
Anthropological Collections and Archaeological Records
In 1949, the faculty intensified archaeological field research
along the Missouri and Columbia River basins. This archaeological
resource was augmented in 1968 when the Department of Anthropology
became the repository for the State of Montana Archaeological
Records and many of the state's archaeological collections.
The archaeological collections and the files of archaeological
site records are curated on a continuous basis. The department
works closely with the State Historic Preservation Office, local
Native American representatives, federal agencies, and private
consulting forms in maintaining a cultural resource inventory and
management of the collections.
The files include the original Smithsonian Institution records
from the River Basin Surveys of the 1940s through the 1960s. The
Department of Anthropology is charged with assigning the
Smithsonian Trinomial Site numbers to all sites discovered in
Montana. These records and associated collections are available to
students for research.
The ethnographic collection began in the 1940s and continues
to grow to the present day. The collection has representative
material culture from all the world areas, but the core of the
collection revolves around ethnographic material from the Northern
Great Plains and the Columbian Plateau. This collection also is
available to students and other researchers for projects.
The anthropological collections are being placed on the ARGUS,
a computer-based collection management system. In the near future,
students and scholars from across the nation will be able to access
our collections from a computer terminal.
Return to Departmental Resources Table of
Contents
Northern Plains Ethnohistory Project
Established in 1974, the Northern Plains Ethnohistory Project
is an ongoing ethnohistorical research program directed toward the
reconstruction and theoretical analysis of the cultural lifeways
and history of Native Americans who inhabited the Northern Plains
during the pre-reservation era (circa 1690-1880). The goals of the
project are the accumulation and survey of primary documents; the
development and publication of research tools; and the training of
students in ethnohistorical methods and techniques. To date, the
project created bibliographic data base of primary and secondary
documents, historic maps, and archived a selection of reproduced
documents. Students may work for the project or use the documents
in their research.
Return to Departmental Resources Table of
Contents
Physical Anthropology Laboratory
The Physical Anthropology Laboratory houses
teaching materials for the study and analysis of human osteology,
human variation, and human evolution. Although space is always
limited, outstanding and dedicated students can acquire
experience in some aspects of casting techniques, osteology,
facial reconstruction, human and primate evolution,
and measuring human variation.
Return to Departmental Resources Table of
Contents
Linguistics Laboratory and Reading Room
The Linguistics Laboratory and Reading Room is home to a wide
array of materials on linguistics and folklore. The laboratory
contains an array of computer equipment and other technology used
in the analysis of languages and their structures. The laboratory
and reading room maintains a strong collection of material on
Native American linguistics. Students can use the laboratory and
reading materials for research.
Go to Linguistics Program Home Page
Return to Departmental Resources Table of
Contents
Departmental Publications
The Department of Anthropology publishes two series in
anthropology. The University of Montana Anthropology Papers
publishes articles in ethnohistory, archaeology, ethnography, and
physical anthropology. Outstanding student research is often
solicited by faculty for publication. The series date to 1950 and
are available as a research source.
Contributions to Anthropology are longer, more comprehensive
works by students, faculty, and other scholars. The monograph
series began in 1967. This series is distributed internationally.
Students also may use past issues for research.
Another important resource, particularly in regard to Native
American languages, are the Occasional Papers in Linguistics. The
series publishes renowned linguistic studies that have received
national attention.
Return to Departmental Resources Table of
Contents
Return to Student Guide Table of Contents
