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Facilities

Social Sciences Building

The Department of Anthropology is housed on the first floor and basement of the Social Sciences Building on the USF-Tampa Campus. Department facilities include the main office where the chair and administrative staff reside, two faculty office suites, a graduate student lounge with computer lab and offices, a museum exhibition gallery, and various research and teaching laboratories. Courses offered in the department make use of various media enhanced classrooms, each of which contain a data projector, desktop PC w/Internet access, DVD/CDROM/VCR, document camera, sound system, and various other instructional technologies.

Anthropology Exhibit Gallery

The Anthropology Exhibit Gallery showcases exhibits on all aspects of anthropology and is designed and curated by students in the Museum Methods class (ANT 4181), a unique course that provides undergraduate students with hands-on experience in exhibit design and fabrication. The Gallery serves as an educational experience for the entire university community and general public. Many instructors base class assignments on visits to the gallery, and English-language classes use the captions and labels as a way to teach English. An interactive video kiosk with additional information on anthropology and the exhibits has recently been installed.

Archaeology Laboratories

There are five archaeological laboratories in the department, each specializing in different methods or collections. These specializations include archaeological chemistry and materials analysis (primarily for pottery, obsidian, soils, and human and faunal remains), as well as regional archaeological collections from Florida, Mesoamerica, and the Mediterranean. The laboratories are equipped for artifact processing, documentation, and conservation; optical microscopy, photography, illustration, and drawing; physical and chemical analysis of archaeological materials; and preparation of museum exhibits. There is also access to instrumental facilities at USF with equipment for remote-sensing using ground penetrating radar; thin-section and metallographic sample preparation and analysis; micro-analytical analysis and elemental characterization using scanning electron microscopy with energy and wavelength dispersive x-ray spectrometers; characterization using x-ray diffraction; and elemental/isotopic analysis by inductively coupled plasma optical emission and mass spectrometers.

Human Biology Research and Teaching Laboratories

There are two laboratories used principally for research and teaching biological, medical, and nutritional anthropology. The teaching lab includes laboratory tables and benches, anthropometric and osteometric equipment, and two mounted human skeletons. The research laboratory maintains the following: hominid casts; forensic teaching materials; forensic aging and sexing casts for skeletal remains; nutritional assessment equipments including skinfold calipers, electronic weighing scales, stadiometer, bio-electrical impedience body composition analyzer, infant measuring boards and weighing scales, electronic food scales, and food models; osteometric equipment including osteometric boards, digital spreading calipers, micrometers; Leica Microscopes and microscope slides; demonstration models; anatomical charts; blood pressure monitors; osteological research collections; and computer with printer and scanner.

Media Laboratory

The media laboratory is equipped with an analog editing system, incorporating 2 Panasonic VCR/Monitors, plus an AG-A96-P editing controller, a WJ-MX20 Digital AV mixer, and WJ KB-50 Character generator; a Super VHS camcorder, tripod, and lapel microphone system; a digital camcorder; and an IMAC computer with digital editing capabilities.