Carnegie Mellon University Libraries

History:

Anthropology

Archives, Libraries, and Museums Associations, Organizations, and Institutes Background Biographical Resources Databases and Library Catalogs

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Anthropology:

Archives, Libraries, and Museums

For additional listings, see History: Archives, Libraries, and Museums.

• Anthropology Museums and Libraries

• Archives of Folk Culture Collections (American Folklife Center, Library of Congress)

• Guide to Anthropological Fieldnotes and Manuscripts in Archival Repositories (Compiled by Robert Leopold, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution)

• National Anthropological Archives and Human Studies Film Archives

• Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology

• Smithsonian

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Associations, Organizations, and Institutes

For additional listings, see History: Associations, Organizations, and Institutes.

• American Anthropological Association
  • Sections and Interest Groups of the American Anthropological Association

• Society for Applied Anthropology

• Society for Cultural Anthropology

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Background

Sometimes you may need some information to get more familiar with your topic. Below are some materials that can provide background on anthropological concepts, theories, methods, and anthropologists.

• Barfield, Thomas. The Dictionary of Anthropology. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1997.
  HUNT REF-1 GN307 .D485 1997

• Barnard, Alan and Jonathan Spencer, eds. Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology. New York: Routledge, 1996.
  HUNT REF-1 GN307 .E525 1996

• Beckwith, Carol. African Ceremonies. 2 vols. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1999.
  HUNT REF-1 GN645 .B4 1999

• Birx, H. James. Encyclopedia of Anthropology. 5 vols. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, c2006.
  HUNT REF-1 GN11 .E63 2006
  Example: Chagnon
  Example: Darkness in El Dorado Controversy

• Brunvand, Jan Harold, ed. American Folklore: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Pub., 1996.
  HUNT REF-1 GR101 .A54 1996

• Daily Life Online: A Suite of Social History (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Provides content from a vast number of reference works, monographs, and primary documents, including The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life, the Daily Life through History series, additional history reference works from Greenwood Press, related general nonfiction and monographs from Praeger, primary documents, vetted weblinks, illustrations, and maps. It also includes materials from the other Greenwood databases, such as World Folklore and Folklife. Users can browse by subject, time period, or region, or use the quick or advanced search.

• Diagram Group. Encyclopedia of African Peoples. New York: Facts on File, 2000.
  HUNT REF-1 DT15 .E53 2000

• Gall, Timothy L., ed. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. 4 vols. Detroit: Gale, c1998.
  HUNT REF-1 GN333 .W67 1998
  Example: Iraqis

• Gonen, Amiram. The Encyclopedia of the Peoples of the World. New York: H. Holt, 1993.
  HUNT REF-1 GN495.4 .E53 1993

• Green, Thomas A. Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art. 2 vols. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, c1997.
  HUNT REF-1 GR35 .F63 1997

• Gulevich, Tanya. Encyclopedia of Christmas and New Year's Celebrations: Over 240 Alphabetically Arranged Entries Covering Christmas, New Year's, and Related Days of Observance, Including Folk and Religious Customs, History, Legends, and Symbols from Around the World; Supplemented by a Bibliography and Lists of Christmas Web Sites and Associations. 2nd ed. Detroit, Mich.: Omnigraphics, 2003.
  HUNT REF-1 GT4985 .G79 2003

• Ingold, Tim, ed. Companion Encyclopedia of Anthropology. New York: Routledge, 1994.
  HUNT REF-1 GN25 .C65 1994

• Kanellos, Nicolás and Claudio Esteva-Fabregat, eds. Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States. 3 vols. Houston, Tex.: Arte Público Press, 1993.
  HUNT REF-1 E184 .S75 H365 1993

• Kastenbaum, Robert. Macmillan Encyclopedia of Death and Dying. 2 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, c2003.
  HUNT REF-1 HQ1073 .M33 2003

• Lal, Brij V. and Kate Fortune, eds. The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, c2000.
  HUNT REF-1 DU17 .P3 2000
  HUNT MUS-OFC-4 DU17 .P3 2000 DISC

• Leeming, David A. A Dictionary of Asian Mythology. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
  HUNT REF-1 BL1005 .L46 2001
  A Dictionary of Asian Mythology (Carnegie Mellon users only)

• Leeming, David Adams with Margaret Adams Leeming. Encyclopedia of Creation Myths. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, c1994. (Carnegie Mellon users only)

• Levinson, David. Ethnic Groups Worldwide: A Ready Reference Handbook. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx Press, 1998.
  HUNT REF-1 GN325 .L46 1998

• Levinson, David, ed. Encyclopedia of World Cultures. 10 vols. Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall, 1991-.
  HUNT REF-1 GN307 .E53 1991

• Levinson, David and Melvin Ember, eds. Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology. 4 vols. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1996.
  HUNT REF-1 GN307 .E52 199
  Example: Mead-Freeman Controversy

• Matsunami, Kodo. International Handbook of Funeral Customs. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998.
  HUNT REF-1 GT3150 .M27 1998

• Minahan, James. One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2000.
  HUNT REF-1 D21.3 .M55 2000

• Monger, George P. Marriage Customs of the World: From Henna to Honeymoons. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2004. (Carnegie Mellon users only)

• Olson, James S. Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998.
  HUNT REF-1 DS730 .O47 1998

• Peek, Philip M. African Folklore: an Encyclopedia. New York: Routledge, 2004.
  HUNT REF-1 GR350 .A33 2004

• Price, David H. Atlas of World Cultures: a Geographical Guide to Ethnographic Literature. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage Publications, c1990.
  HUNT REF-1 G1046 .E1 P7 1989

• Rapport, Nigel and Joanna Overing. Social and Cultural Anthropology: The Key Concepts. New York: Routledge, 2000.
  HUNT REF-1 GN316 .R37 2000

• Roy, Christian. Traditional Festivals: a Multicultural Encyclopedia 2 vols. ABC-CLIO: Santa Barbara, Calif., c2005.
  HUNT REF-1 GT3925 .R69 2005

• Salamone, Frank A. Encyclopedia of Religious Rites, Rituals, and Festivals. New York: Routledge, 2004.
  HUNT REF-1 BL31 .E47 2004

• Vecoli, Rudolph J., et al., eds. Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, c1995.
  HUNT REF-1 E184 .A1 G14 1995

• Waldman, Carl. Encyclopedia of European Peoples. 2 vols. New York: Facts On File, c2006.
  HUNT REF-1 D1056 .W35 2006

• West, Barbara A. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania. 2 vols. New York: Facts On File, c2009.
  HUNT REF-1 GN625 .W47 2009

• Winters, Christopher, general editor. International Dictionary of Anthropologists. New York: Garland Pub., 1991.
  HUNT REF-1 GN20 .I5 1991

• World Folklore and Folklife (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Provides information on all aspects of traditional cultures around the world. Sources include references works such as Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Folklore and Folklife, The Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American Folklore, the Greenwood Library of American Folktales, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend, multimedia resources, images, maps, vetted Weblinks, as well as thousands of classic folk tales, including the complete Hans Christian Andersen stories, Grimms' fairy tales, and folktales from around the world. Users can browse or search the database.

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Biographical Resources

See also the resources listed at History: Biographical Resources

• Anthropology Biography Web (EMuseum@Minnesota State University)

• Barnard, Alan and Jonathan Spencer, eds. Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology. New York: Routledge, 1996.
  HUNT REF-1 GN307 .E525 1996

• Gacs, Ute, et al, eds. Women Anthropologists: A Biographical Dictionary. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988.
  HUNT REF-1 GN20 .W63 1988

• International Dictionary of Anthropologists. New York: Garland Pub., 1991.
  HUNT REF-1 GN20 .I5 1991

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Databases and Library Catalogs

Below are some databases and library catalogs that you can use to find books and journal articles on anthropological topics. The databases are listed from the more general to the more comprehensive to help you determine which one would best suit the type of research you are doing. After you find the journal article or book citations for your topic from these databases, the library catalog to see if the titles of the journals or the titles of the books are in the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries. For journal titles, check the ejournals A-Z list, too. If we don't have the materials you need you can use the interlibrary loan options. If you need help in selecting or using a database for your research, please contact the Hunt Library reference desk.

• Academic OneFile (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  ca. 1980-present (updated daily)
  Use this to find journal article citations and abstracts from many academic journals, including basic ones in anthropology and history. Many will be full text, that is, the entire article can be retrieved from the database.

• Carnegie Mellon's Library Catalog
  Use this to find books and the titles of journals that are in the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries. Do not use this to find articles within journals. If you need to find articles in journals, use one of the databases listed below.

• ProQuest Direct (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  1971-present (updated daily).
  Use this to find journal article citations and abstracts from many academic journals, including basic ones in anthropology and history. Many will be full text, that is, the entire article can be retrieved from the database.

• America: History and Life (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  1954-present (updated monthly).
  A comprehensive database of journal articles and abstracts, book and media review citations, and dissertation citations relating to the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Also has a non-US history counterpart Historical Abstracts. You can also search You can also search America: History and Life and Historical Abstracts simultaneously.

• Historical Abstracts (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  1954-present (Updated monthly).
  A comprehensive database of journal articles citations and abstracts, book citations, and dissertations relating to the history and culture of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 to the present. Also has a U. S. and and Canadian history counterpart, America: History and Life. You can also search America: History and Life and Historical Abstracts simultaneously.

• Anthropological Index Online (Royal Anthropological Institute)
  A very comprehensive and specialized database for anthropological research. Use this to find citations to journal articles in all areas of anthropology from over 750 journals received at the British Museum Department of Ethography (Museum of Mankind). You can limit your keyword search by years, as well as by continent, region, or broad subject area.

Project Muse (Carnegie Mellon users only)
Full text: ca. 2000-present.
Search and display the full text of the more current issues of journals in all fields, including anthropology.
• JSTOR (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: exact dates vary by journal, no current issues
  Keyword search full text backfiles of major scholarly journals by all titles, by subject category, (e. g. anthropology), by individual title, or by a combination. You can also specify the type of material you are looking for, e. g. articles, reviews, etc. Instructions for downloading and installing the print helper are displayed when you click "Print Article" in JSTOR. A laser printer is required for printing.

Worldcat (Carnegie Mellon users only)
1200-present (Updated daily)
Citations to books, titles of journals, manuscripts, and other materials in libraries throughout the United States, as well as some international libraries.
• ARD-The Anthropology Review Database
  Searchable database of reviews of books, audiovisual materials, software & multimedia, exhibits, tourist sites, conferences, and on-line resources dealing with anthropology.

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Directories

• Worldwide Email Directory of Anthropologists

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Discussion Lists

• Anthro-l

• Discussion Forums: Cultural Anthropology (WWW Virtual Library: Athropology)

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Internet Guides

• Anthropology (Yale University, Social Sciences Libraries and Information Services, Subject Guides)

• Ethnographic Resources related to Folklore, Anthropology, Ethnomusicology, and the Humanities (The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress)

• Myths and Legends (Christopher B. Siren)

• UR - LIST: Web Resources For Visual Anthropology (Peter Biella)

• World Wide Web Virtual Library:
  • Aboriginal Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Indigenous Studies

• Yahoo!: Social Science: Anthropology and Archeology

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Journals

Below are some major journals in anthropology. Use the Library Catalog and the Find e-journal list to search for other journal titles in the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries, or use the databases listed above to find journal articles on particular topics. For additional titles, see History: Journals.

• American Anthropologist (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 102, 2000-present.
  American Anthropologist (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: Vols. 1, 1888-v. 11, 1898; New Series: Vols. 1, 1899-(current-7 years).
  American Anthropologist
  Print: v. 42, 1940-ca. 98, 1996.
  By Request from Offsite.
  Print: ca. v. 99, 1997-present.
  HUNT JOUR-3

• American Ethnologist
  Print: v.16,1989-present.
  HUNT JOUR-3
  American Ethnologist (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 1, 1974-(current - 7 years).

• Annual Review of Anthropology (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 25, 1996-present.
  Annual Review of Anthropology (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 1-28, 1972-(ca. current -5 years)
  Annual Review of Anthropology
  Print: v. 1, 1972-present.
  HUNT STACKS-2 301.A615
  Continues:
  Biennial Review of Anthropology (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 1-7, 1959-1971.
  Biennial Review of Anthropology Print: v. 1-7, 1959-1971
  HUNT STACKS-2 016.301 B588
  

• Anthropological Quarterly (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 73, 2000-present.
  Anthropological Quarterly (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 26, 1953-(ca. current - 3 years)
  continues:
  Primitive Man (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 1, 1928-v. 25, 1952.

• Anthropology Today (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 16, 2000-present.
  Anthropology Today (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: vols. 1-15, 1985-ca.1999.
  Continues:
  Rain (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: Issues 1-65, 1974-1984.

• Cultural Anthropology: The Journal of the Society for Cultural Anthropology (Carngie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 15, 2000-present.
  Cultural Anthropology: The Journal of the Society for Cultural Anthropology (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 1, 1986-(ca. current - 7 years)
  Cultural Anthropology: The Journal of the Society for Cultural Anthropology
  Print: v. 1, 1986-present.
  HUNT JOUR-3

• Current Anthropology (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 37, 1996-present.
  Current Anthropology (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: vols. 1-35, 1959-v. 40, 2006.
  Current Anthropology
  Print: v. 1, 1960-present.
  HUNT JOUR-3
  Continues:
  Yearbook of Anthropology (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: 1955.

• Ethnohistory (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 47, 2000-v. 51, 2004.
  Ethnohistory (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 1, 1954-v. 46, 1999
  Ethnohistory
  Print: v.36, 1989-ca. v. 46, 1999.
  By Request from Offsite
  Print: ca. v. 47-present.
  HUNT JOUR-3

• Ethnology (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 1, 1962-(current-3 years).

• Ethos (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 1, 1973-(ca. current - 7 years).

• Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 6, 2000-present.
  Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: ca. v. 1, 1995-(ca. current- 5 years)
  Print: v. 1, 1995-present.
  HUNT JOUR-3
  Print volumes shelved under Royal Anthropological Institute. Journal.
  Continues:
  Man (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 1-65, 1901-1965; New Series v. 1-29, 1966-1994.
  Print: v.40-65, 1940-65; new ser. v.1-9, 1966-74.
  HUNT JOUR-3
  Absorbed: Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
  Full text: v. 37-95, 1907-1965.
  Print: v.69-95, 1939-65.
  HUNT JOUR-3
  Continues:
  Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: v. 1-36, 1872-1906.

• Proceedings of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
  Full text: 1965-1973. (Carnegie Mellon users only)

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History