Teaching with AnthroNotes Cartoons

Abstract

For 33 years (1979–2012), the Smithsonian Institution publication AnthroNotes brought anthropology and archaeology to classrooms in the United States and beyond. AnthroNotes featured lead articles by research specialists and cartoons by the archaeologist and artist Robert L. Humphrey. AnthroNotes originated from the George Washington University / Smithsonian Institution Anthropology for Teachers Program, funded by the National Science Foundation. Although AnthroNotes ceased publication, all 84 issues and 263 individual articles are digitized. The cartoons and articles remain relevant and useful, free from copyright restriction, located in the Smithsonian’s digital repository (AnthroNotes 2018). Here we share practical suggestions and links to the original articles and cartoons to help students examine them for what they reflect about anthropology and archaeology, past and present. In today’s rapidly changing intellectual landscape, the cartoons offer an innovative and entertaining way for students to explore enduring questions in anthropology and archaeology as well as current topics, conversations, and concerns. We further demonstrate how these articles and cartoons trace major historical shifts in the field over past decades. Finally, because art reflects its historical context, these materials invite students to assess the impact of critical theory, self-reflexive views of culture, and gender studies on archaeology and anthropology today.