Greetings from Southern Nevada!  You may not know this, but our Anthropology Department is situated in one of the most interesting and diverse environments in the United States.  We are at an exciting historical moment at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) with a faculty doing important research representing all of the major subfields (archaeology, linguistics, biological and cultural). 

What is so exciting about being in Las Vegas you may ask?  Think of it this way:  UNLV is sitting within one of the world’s largest living cultural laboratories. The arid environment, fast growing urban centers, and a strong influx of migrants combine to create an interesting socio-cultural experiment deserving of study. Some have even said that Las Vegas is the laboratory of the future.  What happens here isn’t likely to stay here, but is being replicated throughout the world. This “instant city,” as Las Vegas and many other cities around the world are called, that developed overnight in arid areas, is a compelling place to study the interplay of environmental, cultural and biological influences on human behavior.

While local research is a key element of what we do, our faculty have international research interests. From archaeological research on communities in Neolithic Turkey and Cyprus, to ethnoarcheological research in Alaska, to field sites right in our own back yard (think: Great Basin and the desert Southwest), we are training archaeology students to approach important problems in collaborative, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary ways.  From studying youth languages in Tibet to how Neanderthal children grew and developed; From studying coalitional violence in Turkana pastoralists to health and violence in the ancient southwest.  Ever wondered about the evolutionary significance of fathers and fatherhood?  Or, about the ways that obesity and other metabolic syndromes are becoming a global epidemic? Or, about identity and love in China?  We have the answers!  In many ways, Las Vegas’ various populations are an ideal counterpoint for faculty research being carried out in far-flung places such as Mexico, Kenya, Alaska, China, Cyprus, Turkey, Tibet and Jamaica (just to name a few places our faculty do research in).

In the non-academic realm, Southern Nevada is a mecca for hiking, mountain biking, paddling, white water rafting, rock climbing and camping.  Within driving distance of the campus are places of untold beauty such as Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park, Zion and Bryce National Monuments, and Lake Mead Recreation Area.  There is a vibrant arts and film community, not to mention the revitalization of “old” Las Vegas by young innovative artists, entrepreneurs and professionals.  Museums, art galleries, independent film houses and many other venues for creative and cultural activities exist within shouting distance of the University. 

Sound exciting? We certainly think so. If you do too, keep clicking to find out more about us!!

Debra Martin, Professor, Chair

UNLV ANTHROPOLOGY: WHERE STUDENTS COME TO EVOLVE!