University of Tennessee Department of Anthropology

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University of Tennessee Department of Anthropology

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A community of scholars & staff exploring all facets of human lives, experiences, and societies.

10/28/2026

Attention all UTK archaeology students, faculty, and alumni! We will be hosting a reception on Wednesday, November 11 in Birmingham, Alabama to kick off the Southeastern Archaeology Conference. We hope to see you there!

10/27/2026

Join the Society for East Asian Archaeology (SEAA) for an online book talk on The Archaeology of the Tibetan Plateau on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 11:30 AM EST (9:30 AM MST)!

Authors Jade d’Alpoim Guedes (University of Washington) and Mark Aldenderfer (University of California) will explore the Tibetan Plateau’s prehistory, from its earliest inhabitants to the emergence of early societies. The presentation will be followed by comments from discussant Anke Hein and an open discussion.

The event is free and open to all via Zoom.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/wKIT4hJPQ3yN0rMNwvRKlA

10/25/2026

Join us for a special webinar on Friday, October 30, 11:00 AM–1:00 PM! Dr. Dinesh Paudel, Professor of Sustainable Development at Appalachian State University, will present “The Himalayan Tragedy: Infrastructuralism, Disaster Capitalism and a New Geopolitical Conjuncture in Nepal.”

The lecture will explore how natural disasters, infrastructure development, and shifting geopolitical dynamics are reshaping Nepal’s Himalayan region and influencing local communities and political movements.

This event will be held via Zoom. We hope you can join us!

Register here: https://tiny.utk.edu/nqDcK

10/25/2026

Join us for the Anthropology Visiting Lecture Series on Wednesday, October 28, 3:30–5:00 PM in AAB 111! Dr. Oscar Pedraza from King’s College London will present “Sculptures of Devastation, A Visual Genealogy of Violence Through the Environment,” exploring how coal mining in Colombia has reshaped the environment, transformed Indigenous and agrarian communities, and shaped histories of violence through visual representation and political struggles. A reception will follow the lecture. We hope to see you there!

10/15/2026

Join us for the Anthropology Visiting Lecture Series on Wednesday, October 21, 3:30–5:00 PM in AAB 111! Dr. Lindsay Smith from Arizona State University will present “Deep Forensics: Addressing Layered Violence Through Community-led Technologies in Mexico,” exploring how communities in Mexico navigate forensic identification, systemic violence, and the challenges of pursuing justice through community-led technologies. A reception will follow the lecture. We hope to see you there!

10/07/2026

Join us for the Anthropology Visiting Lecture Series on Wednesday, October 14, 3:30–5:00 PM in AAB 111! Dr. Nicholas Laluk from the University of California Berkeley will present “The Theodore Roosevelt Boarding School: Ndee (Apache) persistence and survivance,” exploring the complex history of the Theodore Roosevelt School and how it reflects both ongoing colonial oppression and the persistence and survivance of the White Mountain Apache people. A reception will follow the lecture. We hope to see you there!

10/04/2026

ANTH 429 students wrapped up their final session of skeletal recovery! The photos show team Orange wrapping up a productive day in the field.

09/30/2026

We are thrilled to celebrate UT Anthropology alumna Dr. Kate Spradley, who has been named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow!

Dr. Spradley earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee in 2006, where she studied under Dr. Richard Jantz. She is now a Professor of Anthropology at Texas State University and the founder and director of Operation Identification (OpID), which works to identify and repatriate the remains of migrants who have died along the Texas-Mexico border.

The MacArthur Fellowship, often referred to as the “Genius Grant,” is one of the most prestigious honors of its kind. Not limited to anthropology or academia, it recognizes exceptional individuals across the sciences, arts, humanities, and public service. Only 20–30 individuals are selected each year, with each fellow receiving an $800,000, no-strings-attached award in recognition of their creativity, accomplishments, and potential for future contributions.

We are especially proud to see a UT Anthropology alumna and former student of Dr. Jantz receive this extraordinary recognition.

Congratulations, Dr. Spradley!

09/22/2026

Day one of the full final scenes for ANTH 429! Team Green was hard at work at the screen, while Team Blue assembled their field kit and gathered the equipment needed for their scene. The photos also show Team Blue working through their scene and wrapping up a productive day in the field.

09/19/2026

[Deadline updated] Interested in representing the College of Arts and Sciences? Applications are now open for the next group of CAS Student Ambassadors! The college is looking for reliable student leaders who are enthusiastic about their majors and the college and enjoy connecting with others.
Applications are due Friday, October 9. Learn more and apply at tiny.utk.edu/CASambassadors

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1621 Cumberland Avenue
Knoxville, TN
37996

Website

https://linktr.ee/utk_anthro

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