Cornell University Anthropology Collections

Cornell University Anthropology Collections The Cornell Anthropology Collections include over 20,000 archaeological and ethnographic pieces, Lower Paleolithic to modern, for teaching and research.

Visits by appointment only. The Anthropology Collections at Cornell University include over 20,000 pieces, archaeological and ethnographic, ranging from the Lower Paleolithic through the 20th century. The collections are available by appointment for teaching and research. The origins of the Anthropology Collections can be traced to the University Museum, one of the first three buildings constructe

d at Cornell. In the early years of the University, anthropological and archaeological materials came into the Collections via Geology, Classics, Zoology, and other programs. After the Second World War, as the Anthropology Department separated from Economics and Sociology and and grew, the Anthropology Collections were re-organized and expanded to support the mission of the Department.

Current status of the McGraw Hall renovation. Fred went up to consult with Alison on a variety of projects — it’s been a...
05/29/2026

Current status of the McGraw Hall renovation. Fred went up to consult with Alison on a variety of projects — it’s been a crazy semester and we hadn’t been able to get together for ages! Alison will be doing an open-house for Reunion as usual, next Friday in the new Collaboratory space, so those coming for Reunion should be sure to stop by!

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05/13/2026

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The fragment wasn’t placed besides the body, but stuffed inside it.

A little update on the McGraw Hall renovation project
05/13/2026

A little update on the McGraw Hall renovation project

As McGraw Hall, one of the university’s oldest buildings, is rebuilt from the inside out, workers have made several discoveries, and faculty are reusing and studying materials from the building in the classroom.

A nice article on a great collection of material culture!
05/01/2026

A nice article on a great collection of material culture!

Yale’s Bicentennial Schlock collection offers a window into the star-spangled commercialism that swept the country 50 years ago.

Today from the Kittyverse — the Collections do not currently include much of this genre; Curator Emeritus Fred used to b...
04/15/2026

Today from the Kittyverse — the Collections do not currently include much of this genre; Curator Emeritus Fred used to bring in examples from his personal collection. Curator Alison is also a fan, and eventually there will be more formally added. This sort of popular material culture is very interesting and important — and students love seeing such more familiar things alongside more traditionally collected ethnographic objects.

04/14/2026

We have several bronze axes in the Collections, great to see this experimental project!

We are happy to have once again collaborated with The History Center, lending some local pieces and supplying photos for...
03/06/2026

We are happy to have once again collaborated with The History Center, lending some local pieces and supplying photos for their current exhibit on water and its historic uses in Tompkins County.

We have a 19th-century plaster cast of this wonderful piece, a perennial favorite for teaching and talking about Paleoli...
03/04/2026

We have a 19th-century plaster cast of this wonderful piece, a perennial favorite for teaching and talking about Paleolithic art!

Mammoth Shaped Spear Thrower, 16,000 to 13,500 Years Old, 'Ice Age Art Now' Exhibition, Cliffe Castle, Keighley, Yorkshire
The value of a good spear thrower shows in this fragment which was repaired to keep it functioning. The mammoth's tail, later restored with a bone insert, originally curled over to form the hook. When the handle broke it could not be mended again.
The mammoth is sculpted for effect rather than realism. The holes that look like eyes are too large and incorrectly positioned. They once contained inserts creating an awesome appearance. The small ears are right, and the tusks are on the sides of the broken shaft. The legs pirouette unnaturally but the broad, snowshoe feet are realistic.
Montastruc rockshelter, Midi-Pyrénées, France tish Museum, Palart.551

And a couple of views across West Campus — Fred and Alison were consulting today on an upcoming exhibit at The History C...
02/02/2026

And a couple of views across West Campus — Fred and Alison were consulting today on an upcoming exhibit at The History Center downtown, and on teaching museum methods….

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150 McGraw Hall, Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
14853

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