Facilities

Archaeological Facilities

The Department of Anthropology’s archaeological facilities are housed at McDonel Hall in the Consortium for Archaeological Research, a jointly administered facility.  The McDonel Hall complex holds five archaeological research labs, a laboratory with facilities for the storage of teaching collections, and a repository and storage under the jurisdiction of the MSU Museum.  The office wing houses archaeological faculty and graduate student offices, a seminar room, computer laboratory, copy/work room, an MSU Museum records repository, and university and MSU Museum NAGPRA compliance functions.   The teaching laboratory is employed for a wide range of Department of Anthropology functions acting to integrate the various programs in the department.

Physical Anthropology Facilities

The Department of Anthropology’s physical anthropology facilities are housed in Giltner Hall and include three main laboratory spaces: 1) The MSU Forensic Anthropology Laboratory; 2) The MSU Bioarchaeology Laboratory; and, 3) The Biomarker Laboratory for Anthropological Research.

The MSU Forensic Anthropology Laboratory (MSUFAL) is on the first floor and includes a large analytical laboratory, a maceration laboratory, a radiography and photography room, a classroom, and a graduate student office. Additional offices are connected to the analytical space and classroom. Read more about the spaces here.

The MSU Bioarchaeology Laboratory is on the fourth floor and includes a large analytical laboratory and a photogrammetry studio.

The Biomarker Laboratory for Anthropological Research (BLAR): Located in 4th floor of Giltner Hall, BLAR is a biosafety level 2 facility equipped with a biological safety cabinet, a microtiter plate reader, an automated plate washer, medical-grade refrigerators, a cryogenic storage, an autoclave, computer terminals, and a dedicated office space. Directed by Fujita, BLAR facilitates all stages of research in biological or medical anthropology using biomarker data from living humans.