Anthro Notes

National Museum of Natural History Bulletin for Teachers

Vol. 18 No. 3 Fall 1996

TAKING IN THE SITES: Anthropology on the Web for K-12

by Margaret R. Dittemore

The Smithsonian's Anthropology Department defines anthropology as “the science that deals with the origins, physical characteristics, and cultural development of humankind” (http://www.nmnh.si.edu/departments/anthro.html). The broad scope of this definition means exploring the Internet for related resources can be both exciting and a little daunting. The Internet's tremendous growth in size and popularity has resulted in the need for assistance in navigating it. Offering that help is the immensely popular World Wide Web with which one can locate and retrieve text, pictures and sounds utilizing user-friendly graphics-based point and click browsers. The following list of Web sites is a small sample of what the Internet holds for students and teachers interested in the field of anthropology. It is limited to a few sites (almost entirely U.S.) in each chosen category. Brief annotations highlight their holdings.

A word of caution: At present there are no gatekeepers (e.g., editors, publishers or systems of peer review) for much of what is on the Internet. Sites can be developed by anyone who has the equipment and know-how. As a result, the quality of information is varied. The following sites were selected with this in mind; however, we can not attest to the accuracy of everything presented.

GENERAL SOURCES

Below are several listings of linked resources, sometimes referred to as homepages or virtual library indexes, which will give the reader easy access to those not listed here. They include Anthropological Resources on the Internet (http://www.nitehawk.com/alleycat/anth-faq.html; European equivalent is http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/afaq.html); AnthroNet (http://darwin.clas.Virginia.edu/∼dew7e/anthronet); and WWW Virtual Library: Anthropology (http://www.usc.edu/dept/v-lib/anthropology.html). Another recently updated source is the Anthropology InfoGuide on the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) network (http://ericir.syr.edu. Select the Virtual Library). The InfoGuides point K-12 educators to Internet, ERIC, and traditional print information resources on a host of topics. Finally, the Smithsonian's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education is also an excellent resource and includes the publication “Smithsonian Resource Guide for Teachers.” (http://educate.si.edu/intro.html)

ARCHAEOLOGY

To date, archaeologists are the most active on the Internet. There are hundreds of sites to explore! A small sample follows.

*Frequently Asked Questions About A Career in Archaeology in the United States. Answers questions about education and training, jobs, how to volunteer for a dig, etc. A list of introductory materials (both print and electronic) is also available, (http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/anthro/dlcfaq.html)

*Archaeology Resource Menu. Extensive listing of linked resources for study/teaching of archaeology. Glossary of terms and a great “Middle School Archaeology Web Unit” included. (http://www.interlog.com/∼jabram/elise/archmenu.htm)

*Links to the Past. Information on our collected heritage, participation in archaeology, tools for teaching, and visits to national parks and the lower Mississippi delta moundbuilders (National Park Service), (http://www.cr.nps.gov)

*Flints and Stones: Real Life in Prehistory. Introduction to the world of late Stone Age hunter gatherers through an exhibit of some of Europe's inhabitants and a visit with a shaman. Discuss some misconceptions about the Stone Age, including when these people actually lived. Take a “food quiz” to see if one would survive. (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/∼nantiq/menu.html)

*Exploring Ancient World Cultures. An introduction to eight ancient cultures, including the Near East, India, Egypt, China, Greece, Rome, early Islam, and medieval Europe. An “Educator's Resource Page” is available. (http://eawc.evansville.edu/index.htm)

*Archaeological Resources Guide for Europe. A virtual library of European archaeology with over 1,000 links to current work and information resources across Europe! Access is by subject, country (over 30 represented), period, or by database search, (http://www.bham.ac.uk/BUFAU/Projects/EAW/index.html)

*Southwestern Archaeology. Billed as the “type site” for Web archaeology in the Southwest. Includes a reading list, health and safety tips for field archaeologists, and lots of information on sites, museums, collections, institutes, maps, laws, and programs of study accessible by state, (http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu:80/swa/)

*The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. A virtual trip up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu complete with day-by-day descriptions and photographs, (http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/∼angus/Gallery/Photos/SouthAmerica/Peru/IncaTrail4.html)

SOCIAL/CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

*Kinship and Social Organization: An Interactive Tutorial. A basic guide to concepts of kinship, terminology used, systems of descent and marriage, and residence rules. Diagrams illustrate each. Includes ethnographic examples. (http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/tutor/fundamentals.html)

*Folklife Home Pages. The Library of Congress's American Folklife Center Home Page (http://lcweb.loc.gov/folklife) offers a Folkline information service with national events, jobs, and training opportunities. Also, an excellent essay titled “American Folklife: A Commonwealth of Cultures.” Smithsonian Center for Folklife Programs & Cultural Events (http://www.si.edu/orgardza/offices/folklife/) features great access to Folkways recordings, including audio samples, and Vfest (Virtural Festival in American Folklife), a cultural celebration in cyberspace.

*Native American Sites. Access to home pages of individual Native Americans, Nations and other sites about American Indians, (http://wwwl.pitt.edu/∼lmitten/indians.html)

PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

*The Jane Goodall Institute. Committed to wildlife research, education and conservation. Information about international education programs for youth, (http://www.gsn.org/gsn/proj/jgi/index.html)

*Primate Info Net. Homepage of the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, with links to information resources on primates, primate studies, conservation, etc. Also available are “Primates as Pets,” “Primatological Resources for Children and Young Adults” and ASKPRIMATE, an e-mail based reference service. (http://www.primate.wisc.edu/pin/)

*Origins of Mankind Homepage. Recently redesigned, this is an extensive listing of internet resources for the study of human evolution. It includes general origins, sites, theories, online books, prehistoric art and monuments, labs and museums, newsgroups and directories to other sites, (http://www.dealsonline.com/origins)

LINGUISTICS

*Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Catalog of the world's languages with information on alternate names, number of speakers, location, dialects, linguistic affiliation, etc. Browse by country (interactive maps), language family, or any word found in text. 12th edition (1992). (http://www.sil.org/ethnologue/ethnologue.html)

*Human-Languages Page. Language-related resources, including online language lessons, translating dictionaries, academic programs, and other linguistic and commercial resources. (http://www.willamette.edu/∼tjones/Language-Page.html)

AREA STUDIES

*University of Pennsylvania African Studies Homepage. Extensive listing of resources for the study of Africa. Includes a very good unit titled “K-12 Electronic Guide for African Resources on the Internet.” (http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/AS.html)

*Arctic Studies Center. Activities of Smithsonian anthropologists both in and related to study of the far North. See what it takes to put an exhibit together, tour a virtual exhibit and an archaeological site, and participate in a repatriation workshop with Alaskan Natives. (http://www.nmnh.si.edu/arctic/)

*Asian Studies WWW Virtual Library. Extensive listing of linked resources for the broad sweep of Asia, including the Middle East and the Pacific. Searchable by region, by 60 different countries/territories, or for Asia-Pacific global data. (http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVL-AsianStudies.html)

*Lanic: Latin American Network Information Center. Information on 29 countries and 30 different subjects, including anthropology and K-12. Administered by the University of Texas, (http://lanic.utexas.edu/)

MUSEUMS

Museums have found the Internet. (See Guide to Museums and Cultural Resources (http://www.lam.mus.ca.us/webmuseums/about.html) administered by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.) Although many museums have simply produced pages with information about their facilities, hours, etc., others are offering more. For example:

*Canadian Museum of Civilization. Offers free virtual membership and selective virtual tours of exhibits. Featured are Canada's First People, the British Columbia Coast, a Children's Museum, and Behind the Scenes, etc. (http://www.cmcc.muse.digital.ca/)

*Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan. A major archaeological research and teaching facility as well as its collections not normally open to the public. Select from among eight curation divisions--ethnology, ethnobotany, Asian, Great Lakes, North America, Old World, New World and Physical. (http://www.umma.lsa.umich.edu/umma.html)

*Oriental Institute Virtual Museum. Showcase of ancient Near Eastern history, art, and archaeology at the University of Chicago. Virtual tours available by subject, gallery or other part of the museum. View highlights from the collections by region (e.g., Anatolia, Egypt, Mesopotamia) and topic (e.g., mummies). (http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/QTVR96/QTVR96.html.

*Smithsonian Institution. A treasure-trove of resources! Don't miss the Department of Anthropology (see introduction), the Human Studies Film Archives (http://www.nmnh.si.edu/gopher-menus/HumanStudiesFilmArchives.html) or the National Museum of the American Indian ( http:www.si.edu/nmai/nav.htm).

VIRTUAL EXHIBITS

The Internet is a great place for exhibits. Such online displays offer many museums a way to showcase their collections to a wider audience and give all of us an opportunity to share in these experiences. Several current sites include:

*Greek World Virtual Exhibit. Based on the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology's permanent exhibit, this site uses artifacts to provide a vivid portrayal of ancient Greek life, including the home, warfare, trade and religion. (http://www.museum.upenn.edu/Greek_World/Intro.html)

*Scrolls from the Dead Sea: The Ancient Library of Qumram and Modern Scholarship. Based on the Library of Congress exhibit. Includes images of 12 scroll fragments and 29 objects, a description of the Qumran Library and its community and a discussion of the scrolls today, 2,000 years later. Also available are “Resource Materials for Teachers.” (http://sunsite.unc.edu/expo/deadsea.scrolls.exhibit/intro.html)

*Exhibits On-line. Selected online exhibits from the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (Harvard University), which houses prehistoric and historic collections from all over the world. Currently featured are Against the Winds: American Indian Running Traditions, Three Generations of Women Anthropologists, and The Children of Changing Woman. (http://fas-www.harvard.edu/∼peabody/maria/index.html)

ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS

At present only a few anthropological periodicals have attempted full-text online. (For example, see online version of AnthroNotes.) Instead, the majority offer information about the journal, how to subscribe or submit an article, and tables of contents for recent issues (some with abstracts of articles). An example is the journal Archaeology (http://www.he.net/∼archaeol/) that also has an excellent set of links to archaeology around the world. For an example of online text, see John C. Ewers’ Hairpipes in Plains Indian Adornment (http://www.sil.si.edu/elecedns.htm) published by the Smithsonian Institution Libraries as part of a larger electronic publishing project.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

A growing number of professional organizations are discovering the Internet as a good way to reach out to their membership and to advertise to new and interested others. Among them are the American Anthropological Association (http://www.ameranthassn.org/) whose homepage is currently under construction and the Society for Historical Archaeology (http://www.azstarnet.com/∼sha/sha_ha2.htm), which has special sections on what historical archaeology is, careers and graduate programs in the field, and information for kids titled “Kids! Is the Past in your Future?”

Margaret R. Dittemore is Anthropology Branch Head of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries.