Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
Encyclopedia
The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology is Brown University
's anthropology
museum
. The museum has a 2000 square feet (185.8 m²) gallery in Manning Hall 41°49′35.3"N 71°24′13.4"W on the university campus in Providence, Rhode Island
. Its Collections Research Center is located in Bristol, RI 41°40′43"N 71°14′13"W.
in 1955. It is one of the finest centers in New England
for research on Native American
material culture. Its holdings total more than 110,000 items, of which 73,000 are archaeological artifacts and 15,000 are ethnographic. While strongest in Native North American materials, the museum also contains significant material from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, including:
The museum is also a federally-designated repository for 20,000 archaeological objects excavated by Arctic
researchers from National Park Service
and Bureau of Land Management
lands in Alaska
.
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
's anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. The museum has a 2000 square feet (185.8 m²) gallery in Manning Hall 41°49′35.3"N 71°24′13.4"W on the university campus in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. Its Collections Research Center is located in Bristol, RI 41°40′43"N 71°14′13"W.
History
The museum and its Bristol grounds were donated to Brown by the family of Rudolf F. HaffenrefferRudolf F. Haffenreffer
Rudolf F. Haffenreffer III was a Rhode Island industrialist and philanthropist. Among his numerous family enterprises he was best known for his role as president and chairman of the Narragansett Brewing Company. He also received the Mount Hope Bridge in receivership in 1931...
in 1955. It is one of the finest centers in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
for research on Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
material culture. Its holdings total more than 110,000 items, of which 73,000 are archaeological artifacts and 15,000 are ethnographic. While strongest in Native North American materials, the museum also contains significant material from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, including:
- 69,966 archeological and 6,000 ethnological objects from North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
- 2,534 archeological and 3,000 ethnological items from SouthSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Central AmericaCentral AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent... - 40 archeological and 3,000 ethnological items from AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, some by contemporary artisans - 399 archeological and 400 ethnological items from EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
- 1,100 ethnological items from AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
- 5 archeological and 1,500 ethnological items from OceaniaOceaniaOceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
The museum is also a federally-designated repository for 20,000 archaeological objects excavated by Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
researchers from National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
and Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
lands in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.