Anthropology at the University of Auckland

20/06/2026

Looking to work in the Cultural Collections space?

A role is open within the Cultural Collections Team at UoA

Company Description: Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of AucklandThe University of Auckland is New Zealand’s leading University. With over 6000 academic and professional staff supporting more than 46,000 students, we are one of NZ’s largest employers. We have eight academic faculties and 11 ...

18/06/2026

When he set a creative challenge as a final project, little did Associate Professor Jesse Hession Graymanknow that he'd end up wrapping the final tutorial up playing a board game designed by Anthro 379: The Anthropology of Development, graduating student Emerson O'Rega

18/06/2026

When he set a creative challenge as a final project, little did Associate Professor Jesse Hession Grayman know that he'd end up wrapping the final tutorial up playing a board game designed by Anthro 379: The Anthropology of Development, graduating student Emerson O'Regan

18/06/2026

When he set a creative challenge as a final project, little did Associate Professor Jesse Hession Grayman know that he'd end up wrapping up the last tutorial of the term playing a board game designed by Anthro 379: The Anthropology of Development, graduating student Emerson O'Regan

06/06/2026

Some photos from Anthro 759s final presentation day! From course coordinator Marama Muru Lanning "They volunteered, they read the course readings, they walked the Domain, got all their assignments in on time with flair, and presented and partied on their last day of class. Ka mau te wehi Anthro 759!"

08/05/2026

With just a few days of Archaeology Week to go, we'd like to highlight one of our other working archaeologists here at UoA!

Associate Professor Rebecca Phillipps!

Bio - Rebecca Phillipps is an Associate Professor in Anthropology at the Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland. Rebecca’s research interests are in stone artefact analysis, archaeological theory, and human environment inter-relationships. She has directed fieldwork in Egypt and Aotearoa.

Fun-fact - Rebecca used to be a music teacher (guitar)

Recent research - Raw material economisation in Aotearoa New Zealand (https://doi.org/10.1002/arco.70008)

05/05/2026

We thought we might highlight some of our Archaeologists for NZ Archaeology week!

Starting with Associate Professor Ethan Cochrane!

Dr Cochrane completed his PhD at the University of Hawaii in 2004 examining ancient ceramics in Fiji and patterns of cultural transmission. After this, he was a lecturer at University College London for five years before coming to Auckland in 2012. He has also worked in cultural resource management (or Heritage sector) archaeology in Hawaii, Samoa, and Micronesia.

Fun fact: He's run four marathons

See this video to learn more about Dr Cochrane's work!:

The origins of hierarchical society in Sāmoa and wider Polynesia have likely been uncovered by a new study led by archaeologists at the University of Auckland.

03/05/2026

To launch archaeology week our student volunteers helped out at Auckland Museum's Archaeology Family Day!

01/05/2026

With NZ Archaeology Week just around the corner, there couldn't be better timing to celebrate UoA Archaeology's ranking as the University's joint highest subject in the QS World Rankings at 28.

The study of the human past through material remains, archaeology has placed in the top 30 globally six times since the subject was first ranked in 2016.

29/04/2026

A reminder that for our seminar tomorrow we will be hosting two PhD students confirmation presentations: please do come along!

Join us on April 30 from 3-4:30 pm in Building 206, Room 315.

The Life of European Classical Music and Its
Musicians in the 21st Century China
Presented by Elaine Qian

K-pop Fansin China: Everyday Negotiations of Patriotism
and Transnational Consumption
Presented by Yating Lan