• The goal of anthropology is to understand and interpret cultural and biological differences among human societies, both past, and present. The department at Rice includes diverse offerings in all major subfields of the subject. In archaeology, there are courses on the rise and decline of past civilizations and cultures, as well as practical courses that permit students to participate in excavations.
  • In biological anthropology, there are courses in human evolution, human nutrition, and the practice of medicine in our own and other cultures. Cultural anthropology surveys the diversity of world cultures, and offers courses on particular cultural areas, and provides critical perspectives on the study of contemporary culture changes globally.
  • Social anthropology courses focus upon the study of myth, ritual, and religion among traditional and complex societies and the idea of history as cultural myth. We also offer courses that explore the relationships between language, culture, and modes of thought in several societies.