Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, founded in 1846. Grinnell is known for its rigorous academics, innovative pedagogy, and commitment to social justice. The student body is approximately 1500 undergraduates.
Department of Anthropology
Grinnell College has a strong anthropology department for a small college, with faculty representing the traditional four fields of American anthropology and offering courses in socio-cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistics and biological anthropology.
Grinnell’s anthropology major prepares students for graduate school as well as careers domestically and internationally in such fields as museology, regional planning, journalism, business, social services, and more.
Experimental Archaeology
There is one course on Experimental Archaeology and Ethnoarchaeology (ANT 375), however not offered every year. This course examines the theoretical basis and practice of experimental archaeology and ethnoarchaeology, and it includes lab work and projects. The course is instructed by professors John C. Whittaker and Kathryn Kamp. Other archaeology courses include occasional experimental projects.
Professor Whittaker has a strong background in experimental archaeology, with technical expertise in prehistoric technologies, especially flintknapping and stone tool analysis, early agriculture, and atlatls, or spearthrowers. He has authored books and articles about flintknapping and modern day non-academic flintknappers. He also promotes the Grinnell College Raging Cows, the world's first collegiate atlatl team, which hosts an annual spear throwing competition.
