We are removing items for NAGPRA review by affiliated Tribes. Gilcrease honors each Tribe’s right to review collections and respects cultural protocols that restrict public access to sensitive material. We apologize for any inconvenience. Learn why culturally sensitive items are unavailable online here.

Anthropology is the study of humanity in all dimensions: cultural, social, historical, biological, and linguistic. At Gilcrease, the anthropology collection and the work of the Department of Anthropology focus on the cultural history of North, Central, and South America, from the first prehistoric populations up to the present-day. The collections comprise more than 250,000 items, covering prehistoric and historic archaeology and ethnographic materials from Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo-American cultural traditions. These diverse materials help tell the story of the many peoples and cultures that have made the North American continent experience unique and complex. —Daniel C. Swan, “The Anthropology Collection,” in Treasures of Gilcrease: Selection from the Permanent Collection (Oklahoma: Gilcrease Museum, 2003), 123-125.

See all items in the online Anthropology department. 

The Anthropology Collection

Anthropology is the study of humanity in all dimensions: cultural, social, historical, biological, and linguistic. At Gilcrease, the anthropology collection and the work of the Department of Anthropology focus on the cultural history of North, Central, and South America, from the first prehistoric populations up to the present-day. The collections comprise more than 250,000 items, covering prehistoric and historic archaeology and ethnographic materials from Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo-American cultural traditions...

Containers of Tradition: Southeastern Indian Basketry

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When Old Becomes New: Recycling on the Great Plains

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Native Artists and Scholars- Bringing the Past to the Present

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Old figures, new ways of seeing

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