Fig 1 - Anthropobox level 1

The Anthropobox

The Anthropobox is a simple case divided into three levels and containing sixteen objects or group of objects.
This tool has been designed to support widening participation programs developed by UCL Anthropology for schools and is also intend to be used with isolated publics in a nearer future.

The selection of objects has been made following eight criteria and keeping in mind the importance of variety:
– Measurements;
– Production places ;
– Materials ;
– Fragility ;
– State of conservation ;
– Weight ;
– A wide range of objects, from mundane to rarer ones ;
– Supports for a wide variety of themes and ideas.

Fig 1 – Anthropobox level 1

Fig 2 – Anthropobox level 2

Fig 3 – Anthropobox level 3

The final list includes a group of inuit objects, North West coast artefacts, Asian objects from China and Philippines, and a diversity of objects from Africa (Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Mali).It has not been possible to include any Oceanian nor European objects because of their measurements and weigth. The two Haida objects from North West Coast are notable and, by opposition, the Chinese cardboard shoes or the Nigerian ant hill circled by a cooper wire or the Nigerian bullraoer society instrument are both objects who were not supposed to last. The Chinese shoes were ment to be burnt while the two other artefacts were ment to be used only among a specific period and for a short amount of time. The Dogon plastic figurines were chosen because they are made of a modern material but also because they allow to talk about tourism, globalisation, recycling. Just like them, every objects or group of objects contained in the case allow to understand the interaction between people and their environment.

Five workshops, focusing on Geography, Art and Design, Religion, Being a curator and What is anthropology? have been designed focusing on the national curriculum. The Anthropobox is therefore a valuable tool for teachers and students of various classes . The Anthropobox has been used for a serie of four workshops with year 10 at Harris Invictus Croydon, adn it will be soon used in Primary schools. To learn more about the Anthropobox, please follow this link:

Project done in collaboration with:
Dr. Alison McDonald, UCL Anthropology
Nathan Emery, BSc, UCL Anthropology
Ignacio Echeverria Faccin, UCL Culture, Assistant Curator, who designed and crafted the inside of the box.

With the help of:
Patrick Edgley, PhD Candidate, UCL Anthropology
Zoe Bloom, MA student, UCL Anthropology

With the support of:
UCL Widening participation
UCL Culture