Archaeology is the study of cultures past; physical anthropology is the study of human physical development as a species.  Together they provide a window on the history of humankind.  Anthropology at TU is particularly strong in the exploration of three geographic areas:

                        A. Near East, especially Jordan

                        B. North American Southwest and northern Mexico

                        C. North American midcontinent, especially Oklahoma

             Ongoing projects in the Paquimé (Casas Grandes) region of northern Mexico and southern Jordan have been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation.  These and projects in eastern Oklahoma have provided copious opportunities for students to become involved and to contribute to the prehistory of these regions.  Faculty members have especial expertise in the areas of lithic, ceramic, statistical, and ecological analyses and offer courses in each of these topics.

            Undergraduate education in anthropology is broad.  Every student must take a course in cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics.  From there, students branch out into more specialized courses.  Every archaeology / physical anthropology student takes an upper division course in Archaeological Analysis, and every anthropology student must complete a Senior Project, which forms the capstone of the undergraduate experience. 

            Education for the Masters degree is highly regulated, because we believe that a student must possess certain skills to be able to compete successfully either for jobs or for further graduate education.  Therefore, we mandate the following courses: Research Design, Statistical Analysis, Lithic Analysis, Ceramic Analysis, and Archaeological Theory.  Other courses are offered as electives.  A student may elect to write a thesis or select a non-thesis option.  We have found that the presence of archaeological laboratories where graduate and undergraduate students work on projects provides a rich and mutually supportive environment in which both groups benefit substantially.
                                                                                                   

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Department of Anthropology
Harwell Hall, 2nd Floor  [campus map]
(918) 631-2348
fax (918) 631-2540

Mailing Address:
800 South Tucker Drive , Tulsa, OK 74104