Famous 20th Century Anthropologists

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 1 
Margaret Mead
(Cultural Anthropologist)
Margaret Mead
12
Birthdate: December 16, 1901
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Died: November 15, 1978

One of the most celebrated anthropologists to have ever existed, Margaret Mead is remembered for his research on a broad range of topics, such as sexual conventions in Western society. Of her 23 books, the most talked-about was the bestseller Coming of Age in Samoa.

 2 
Claude Lévi-Strauss
(Anthropologist)
Claude Lévi-Strauss
6
Birthdate: November 28, 1908
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium
Died: October 30, 2009

French social anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss is remembered for his contribution to structural anthropology. His book Tristes Tropiques was based on his research deep in the Brazilian Amazon. While he left France for the U.S. during World War II, he later returned to Paris and received his doctorate.

 3 
Clifford Geertz
(Anthropologist, University teacher, Sociologist)
Clifford Geertz
4
Birthdate: August 23, 1926
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: San Francisco
Died: October 30, 2006

Clifford Geertz was an anthropologist who strongly supported and influenced the practice of symbolic anthropology. He attended Harvard University, where he completed an interdisciplinary program. He then embarked on an academic career and wrote several theoretical pieces and essays on symbolic anthropology. He has left a strong influence on modern anthropology and communication studies. 

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 4 
Louis Leakey
(Paleoanthropologist and Archaeologist)
Louis Leakey
8
Birthdate: August 7, 1903
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kabete
Died: October 1, 1972

Son of British missionaries in Kenya, Louis Leakey spent his early days amid the Kikuyu people near Nairobi. With an elite education at Cambridge, he later revolutionized the fields of paleoanthropology and archaeology. His study of fossils in East Africa proved humans were older than previously thought.

 5 
Bruno Latour
(French Philosopher Known for His Innovative and Iconoclastic Work in the Study of Science and Technology in Society)
Bruno Latour
10
Birthdate: June 22, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Beaune, France

Holberg Prize-winning French sociologist and anthropologist Bruno Latour had initially studied theology and even received his PhD in the subject. His later research Ivory Coast drew him to anthropology, and he soon gained fame as a renowned academic in the field, having co-written iconic books such as Laboratory Life.

 6 
Ruth Benedict
(American Anthropologist)
Ruth Benedict
5
Birthdate: June 5, 1887
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York, United States
Died: September 17, 1948

Ruth Benedict was an American folklorist and anthropologist. Benedict, who played an important role in the American Folklore Society, also served as the American Anthropological Association's president; the association gives away an annual prize named after Ruth Benedict. In 2005, she was made an inductee of the National Women's Hall of Fame.

 7 
Jane Goodall
(English Primatologist and Anthropologist Who is Considered World's Foremost Expert on Chimpanzees)
Jane Goodall
8
Birthdate: April 3, 1934
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom

Jane Goodall is an English anthropologist and primatologist. Goodall's research proved that chimpanzees could use tools like stalks of grass to fish out termites from termite holes; this also challenged the long-held belief that chimpanzees were vegetarians. Goodall also discovered that chimpanzees are capable of emotions like sorrow and joy. Goodall is also credited with founding the Jane Goodall Institute.

 8 
Alice Roberts
(Anthropologist)
Alice Roberts
12
Birthdate: May 19, 1973
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bristol
Biological anthropologist Alice Roberts has taught at the University of Birmingham and led the charity Humanists UK. She gained fame as the presenter of shows such as Dr. Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young and The Incredible Human Journey. She has also authored books such as The Complete Human Body.
 9 
David Graeber
(American Anthropologist and Anarchist Activist)
David Graeber
8
Birthdate: February 12, 1961
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York, United States

David Graeber, who was a well-known name in the fields of social and economic anthropology, is best remembered for his bestselling book Bullshit Jobs. A lifelong anti-capitalist, he spoke against bureaucracy and also led the Occupy movement. He died abruptly of necrotic pancreatitis, while vacationing in Venice.

 10 
Marcel Mauss
(French Sociologist and Anthropologist Best Known for His Work on Social Exchange and Gift-Giving)
Marcel Mauss
5
Birthdate: May 10, 1872
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Épinal, Vosges, France
Died: February 10, 1950

Sociologist and anthropologist Marcel Mauss is regarded as the Father of French Ethnology. Shunning his family business, he became influenced by his uncle, sociologist Émile Durkheim. His best-known work remains Essai sur le don, or The Gift. He also influenced Claude Lévi-Strauss, who founded structural anthropology.

 11 
E. E. Evans-Pritchard
(British Social Anthropologist Known for His Theories of Religion and Investigations of African Cultures)
E. E. Evans-Pritchard
7
Birthdate: September 21, 1902
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Crowborough, East Sussex, England
Died: September 11, 1973

Social anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard is best remembered for his research on witchcraft, magic, and African cultures. Apart from teaching anthropology at Oxford, his alma, he had also worked in South Sudan and penned books such as Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic Among the Azande. He was also knighted for his achievements.

 12 
Kathy Reichs
(Forensic Anthropologist Who Used Her Expertise to Write the Bestselling Crime Novel, 'Break No Bones')
Kathy Reichs
10
Birthdate: July 7, 1948
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist, academic, and crime writer. She has been certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and is an adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina. She is the author of numerous technical books and has also written many novels. She also produced the TV series Bones, based on her works. 

 13 
Paul Farmer
(American Medical Anthropologist)
Paul Farmer
6
Birthdate: October 26, 1959
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: North Adams, Massachusetts
Died: February 21, 2022

Paul Farmer was a medical anthropologist and physician, who was a co-founder of Partners In Health (PIH), an international non-profit organization. He was a proponent of liberation theology and wrote extensively on health and human rights. 

 14 
Alfred Radcliffe-Brown
(British Social Anthropologist Who Developed the Theory of Structural Functionalism)
Alfred Radcliffe-Brown
3
Birthdate: January 17, 1881
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Birmingham, England
Died: October 24, 1955

Best known for his work on the pre-industrialized societies, Alfred Radcliffe-Brown visited Andaman Island and Western Australia to study the social structure of the people there, later writing two important books on them. A renowned scholar, he taught at various preeminent universities across the globe before returning to England to establish the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at Oxford.

 15 
Carlos Castaneda
(Author and Anthropologist Known for His Book ‘The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge’)
Carlos Castaneda
8
Birthdate: December 25, 1925
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cajamarca, Peru
Died: April 27, 1998

Peruvian-American author and anthropologist Carlos Castaneda was born to unwed parents. He lived a mysterious life, and though believed to be married, he later denied the claim. An expert on shamanism, he was a disciple of sorcerer Don Juan Matus and later penned books such as The Teachings of Don Juan.

 16 
Talal Asad
(Saudi Anthropologist Known for His Writing Calling for the Anthropology of Secularism)
Talal Asad
5
Birthdate: 1932
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Medina, Saudi Arabia

Sociocultural anthropologist and City University of New York professor Talal Asad is best known for his research on nomads, postcolonialism, and the culture of nations such as Sudan. He has also taught at the universities of Khartoum and Hull, and penned books such as On Suicide Bombing.

 17 
Pierre Bourdieu
(French Sociologist Known for 'Theorizing the Link Between Education and Culture')
Pierre Bourdieu
4
Birthdate: August 1, 1930
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Denguin, France
Died: January 23, 2002

Renowned sociologist and intellectual Pierre Bourdieu is best remembered for his theory of habitus. Initially sent to Algeria as part of the French Army, he later taught and conducted ethnographic research there. His best-known work remains La Distinction, and he also inspired a hit French documentary.

 18 
David Harvey
(Professor of Anthropology & Geography)
David Harvey
6
Birthdate: October 31, 1935
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Gillingham, Kent, England

David Harvey is a  Marxist economic geographer, podcaster, and a fellow of the British Academy. He is currently a distinguished professor of anthropology and geography at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). He has authored many books and essays and is one of the most cited authors of books in the humanities and social sciences.   

 19 
Karl Polanyi
(Austro-Hungarian Economic Anthropologist, Economic Sociologist and Politician)
Karl Polanyi
4
Birthdate: October 25, 1886
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: April 23, 1964

Apart from being a political economist, Karl Polanyi was also a prominent Hungarian political leader. The Great Transformation remains his best-known work. He taught at institutes such as the Columbia University and is known for proposing the idea of a cultural version of economics known as substantivism.

 20 
Bronislaw Malinowski
(Anthropologist, Sociologist)
Bronislaw Malinowski
0
Birthdate: March 15, 1884
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kraków, Poland
Died: 1942 AD
 21 
Gustave Le Bon
(French Polymath)
Gustave Le Bon
3
Birthdate: May 7, 1841
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nogent-le-Rotrou, France
Died: December 13, 1931

French social psychologist Gustave Le Bon is best remembered for his research on crowd psychology. In his iconic work La psychologie des foules, or The Crowd, he stated that people are driven by their emotions and not by their intellect when they act as part of a crowd.

 22 
Richard Leakey
(Kenyan Paleoanthropologist and Chairman of the ‘Kenya Wildlife Service’)
Richard Leakey
5
Birthdate: December 19, 1944
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Nairobi, Kenya
Died: January 2, 2022

Born to anthropologist parents, Richard Leakey initially worked as a safari guide. On an expedition to Ethiopia, he and his men stumbled upon Koobi Fora, a site where they unearthed numerous tools and fossils. The Kenyan paleoanthropologist later lost his legs in a plane crash and now uses artificial limbs.

 23 
Robert Ripley
(American Cartoonist and Creator of the Newpaper Panel Series 'Ripley’s Believe It or Not!')
Robert Ripley
3
Birthdate: February 25, 1890
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Santa Rosa, California, United States
Died: May 27, 1949

Robert Ripley was a cartoonist and an amateur anthropologist best known for creating the newspaper panel series Ripley's Believe It or Not! The series was later adapted for radio and TV. He lost his father when he was young and began working as a cartoonist at the age of 16. Over the years, he became extremely successful and wealthy. 

 24 
Edward S. Curtis
(American Photographer and Ethnologist)
Edward S. Curtis
5
Birthdate: February 19, 1868
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Whitewater, Wisconsin, United States
Died: October 19, 1952

Edward S. Curtis was an American ethnologist and photographer whose work focused on the Native American people and American West. He is credited with photographing the first portrait of a Native American. Edward S. Curtis' work aimed at preserving the traditional life of Native Americans.

 25 
Victor Turner
(British Cultural Anthropologist)
Victor Turner
5
Birthdate: May 28, 1920
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland,
Died: December 18, 1983

Best known for his work on symbols and rituals, British cultural anthropologist Victor Turner embarked on his lifelong study of the Ndembu people when as a young man he went to Zambia to work as a research officer. Spending his entire career studying rituals and rites of passage, he later applied them to world religion, publishing important works on them.  

 26 
Mary Leakey
(British Paleoanthropologist Who Discovered the First Fossilised 'Proconsul Skull')
Mary Leakey
5
Birthdate: February 6, 1913
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: December 9, 1996

British paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey had exhibited her interest in drawing and archaeology as a kid. Most of her career was spent working alongside her husband, Louis Leakey. She was in charge of many excavation projects in Kenya. Her discoveries include the first Proconsul skull fossil and 15 new animal species.

 27 
Gregory Bateson
(Anthropologist, Philosopher, Sociologist, Psychologist)
Gregory Bateson
4
Birthdate: May 9, 1904
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Grantchester
Died: June 11, 1980

Gregory Bateson was an English anthropologist, social scientist, linguist, and visual anthropologist. Along with his colleagues, he developed the double-bind theory of schizophrenia. Also a cyberneticist, he was part of the core group of the Macy Conferences in Cybernetics. He was a member of philosopher William Irwin Thompson's esoteric nonprofit foundation Lindisfarne Association.  

 28 
Paul Ekman
(Psychologist, Anthropologist, Sociologist, Non-fiction writer, University teacher)
Paul Ekman
6
Birthdate: February 15, 1934
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
 29 
Mary Douglas
(British Anthropologist Known for Her Writings on Human Culture and Symbolism)
Mary Douglas
5
Birthdate: March 25, 1921
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Sanremo, Italy
Died: May 16, 2007

Best known for her book Purity and Danger, anthropologist Mary Douglas specialized in human culture and comparative religion. Initially employed with the British Colonial Office, she later worked with the matrilineal community of the Lele people of Kasai. She was known to be a devout Catholic.

 30 
Geert Hofstede
(Psychologist, University teacher, Anthropologist, Economist)
Geert Hofstede
4
Birthdate: October 2, 1928
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Haarlem
 31 
Marshall Sahlins
(American Cultural Anthropologist)
Marshall Sahlins
5
Birthdate: December 27, 1930
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: April 5, 2021

Born to a Russian immigrant doctor father in Chicago, Marshall Sahlins grew up to be one of the most celebrated cultural anthropologists of the world. The University of Chicago professor is also known for his books such as The Use and Abuse of Biology and Stone Age Economics.

 32 
Michael Taussig
(Anthropologist, University teacher)
Michael Taussig
3
Birthdate: April 3, 1940
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Sydney

With a medical degree from University of Sydney and a PhD in anthropology from London School of Economics, Michael Taussig is famed for his provocative ethnographic studies and unconventional style of teaching. Best known for his commentaries on Karl Marx, especially in relation to the idea of commodity fetishism, he has also produced several well-researched works on medical anthropology. .

 33 
Marvin Harris
(Anthropologist, University teacher, Sociologist)
Marvin Harris
3
Birthdate: August 18, 1927
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York City
Died: October 25, 2001
 34 
Edward T. Hall
(American Anthropologist and Cross-Cultural Researcher)
Edward T. Hall
3
Birthdate: May 16, 1914
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Webster Groves, Missouri, United States
Died: July 20, 2009

Edward T. Hall was an anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher best known for developing the concepts of proxemics, monochronic time, and polychronic time. He explored cultural and social cohesion in his research and described how people behave and react in different types of culturally defined personal space. Hall was a colleague of philosopher Marshall McLuhan and architect Buckminster Fuller. 

 35 
Nancy Scheper-Hughes
(anthropologist)
Nancy Scheper-Hughes
4
Birthdate: September 25, 1944
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York City
 36 
Ernest Gellner
(British-Czech Philosopher and Social Anthropologist)
Ernest Gellner
3
Birthdate: December 9, 1925
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: November 5, 1995

Ernest Gellner was a British-Czech philosopher and social anthropologist who was considered one of the leading theoreticians on nationalism. A prolific author, he was able to attract critical attention with his very first book, Words and Things, in which he fiercely attacked what he called linguistic philosophy. He eventually developed an interest in social anthropologybefore turning his attention to nationalism. 

 37 
Ernest Becker
(Former anthropologist known for Eliciting the creation of Terror Management Theory)
Ernest Becker
3
Birthdate: September 27, 1924
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
Died: March 6, 1974
 38 
Helen Fisher
(American Anthropologist)
Helen Fisher
3
Birthdate: May 31, 1945
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: United States

Best known for her research on the biological dynamics of love and sex, anthropologist Helen Fisher has also penned iconic self-help books such as Anatomy of Love and Why We Love. She has also worked with match.com, to develop a personality-based compatibility system and has been a TED speaker.

 39 
Napoleon Chagnon
(American Cultural Anthropologist Known for His Studies of the Indigenous Yanomami People of the Amazon Rain Forest)
Napoleon Chagnon
3
Birthdate: August 27, 1938
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Port Austin, Michigan, United States
Died: September 21, 2019

Napoleon Chagnon was a cultural anthropologist considered a pioneer of scientific anthropology. He did long-term ethnographic fieldwork among the Yanomamö indigenous people, in which he used an evolutionary approach to understand social behavior. This work received both praise and criticism, making him a controversial figure. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2012. 

 40 
Carleton S. Coon
(Anthropologist, Archaeologist, Prehistorian)
Carleton S. Coon
5
Birthdate: June 23, 1904
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Wakefield
Died: June 3, 1981

Carleton S. Coon was an anthropologist who originated several theories on race. He had a successful academic career and served as the president of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. He was awarded the Viking Medal in Physical Anthropology. Even though he was a famous anthropologist of his time, his racial theories are dismissed as pseudoscientific in modern anthropology. 

 41 
Donald Johanson
(Anthropologist, Archaeologist, Prehistorian, Paleoanthropologist, University teacher)
Donald Johanson
3
Birthdate: June 28, 1943
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chicago

Donald Johanson is a paleoanthropologist. He collaborated with Yves Coppens and Maurice Taieb to discover the fossil of a female hominin australopithecine in the Afar Triangle region of Hadar, Ethiopia. This fossil was named “Lucy". As an academician, he established the Institute of Human Origins in Berkeley. He is the recipient of several awards and honors. 

 42 
Ashley Montagu
(Anthropologist, University teacher)
Ashley Montagu
3
Birthdate: June 28, 1905
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: London
Died: November 26, 1999

British-American anthropologist Ashley Montagu not only taught at Rutgers and The State University of New Jersey but also wrote UNESCO’s 1950 Statement on Race. He also dabbled in topics such as evolution and child care, and one of his best-known works is The Natural Superiority of Women.

 43 
Clyde Kluckhohn
(Anthropologist)
Clyde Kluckhohn
2
Birthdate: January 11, 1905
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Le Mars, Iowa, United States
Died: July 28, 1960
 44 
Alfred L. Kroeber
(Cultural Anthropologist)
Alfred L. Kroeber
4
Birthdate: June 11, 1876
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
Died: October 5, 1960
 45 
Ralph Linton
(Anthropologist)
Ralph Linton
2
Birthdate: February 27, 1893
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: December 24, 1953
 46 
Madison Grant
(American Lawyer, Zoologist and Anthropologist)
Madison Grant
3
Birthdate: November 19, 1865
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: May 30, 1937

A lawyer and a zoologist, Madison Grant is best remembered for his belief in eugenics and white supremacy, which he expressed through his best-selling book The Passing of the Great Race. He played a crucial role in the passing of immigration regulations in the U.S. He was also an avid conservationist.

 47 
Walter J. Ong
(Anthropologist, Historian, Writer, University teacher, Catholic priest, Literary critic, Journalist)
Walter J. Ong
3
Birthdate: November 30, 1912
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kansas City
Died: August 12, 2003
 48 
Louise Leakey
(Kenyan Anthropologist and Paleontologist)
Louise Leakey
3
Birthdate: March 21, 1972
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Nairobi, Kenya
Louise Leakey is a Kenyan anthropologist and paleontologist. She is best known for her research and field work on fossils in Eastern Africa. She specializes in conducting research work on human fossils. Louise Leakey has achieved popularity for promoting an initiative to preserve digital models of fossils in a virtual laboratory.
 49 
Loren Eiseley
(Anthropologist, Philosopher, Poet)
Loren Eiseley
3
Birthdate: September 3, 1907
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lincoln
Died: July 9, 1977
 50 
Earnest Hooton
(American Physical Anthropologist Known for His Work on Racial Classification)
Earnest Hooton
3
Birthdate: November 20, 1887
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States
Died: May 3, 1954

Earnest Hooton was a physical anthropologist. He worked extensively in the field of racial classification and used comparative anatomy to divide humanity up into races. He studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and took up a teaching career. A popular public figure, he was a co-founder of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. He also published poems and drawings.