Facilities
Based in Koren Building, a part of Luther's campus since 1921, the anthropology department manages three collections of material culture: ethnographic, archaeological, and numismatic.
The ethnographic collections comprise more than 1,000 objects from around the world, representing China, France, Holland, Japan, Turkey, Norway, Nepal, Madagascar, Peru, and Australia. The largest portion of the ethnographic collections was compiled by two individuals who performed missionary work among indigenous people in Alaska and South Africa—Reverend Tollef Brevig and Hannah Astrup Larsen, respectively.
The archaeological collections contain more than 500,000 prehistoric and historic artifacts from approximately 400 Native American and Euro-American sites in Iowa and the Upper Midwest, as well as pre-Columbian sites in Panama. Those artifacts from Northeast Iowa, including many Oneota and Woodland Tradition materials, represent more than 8,000 years of human history. The bulk of the collection was generated through archaeological field schools, CRM contracts directed by Luther College faculty and staff, and independent research like that of the late Decorah resident Gavin Sampson. The Sampson Collection, from more than 130 sites in Northeast Iowa and hundreds of locations across the Midwest, is considered one of the premier research collections in Iowa. Other smaller private collections in the Luther College holdings, such as the H. P. Field and Robert Stoddard collections, also constitute important resources for the study of local archaeology.
Finally, the numismatic collection consists of an assortment of coins and notes from around the globe. Researching the distinctive features of coins such as inscriptions, metal composition, and depicted images is an excellent way to learn more about a particular culture. Numismatics play a significant role in understanding the specifics of Greek and Roman culture—the two civilizations that have had the most influence on modern coinage. The origin of "numismatics" comes from the Greek word numos, which means "current coin."
These collections contain a wealth of cultural and historical information analyzed extensively in the anthropology laboratory, housed on the third floor of Koren. This modern 800-square-foot facility serves as a valuable setting for educational, research, and work-study opportunities. Through this process students gain valuable experience in the processing, storage, and analysis of archaeological and ethnographic material culture.
The lab, which is available for use by all anthropology students, is equipped with two computers containing programs such as ArcView and AutoCAD, with peripherals including printers, scanners, a digital camera, digitizer, and plotter. The lab also houses the program's teaching collections that include a wide range of prehistoric stone tools, ceramics, faunal material, raw stone collections, and an osteology collection.