The Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (Spanish: Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia), ICANH, is a scientific and technical government agency ascribed to the Ministry of Culture in charge of researching, producing and disseminating knowledge in the fields of anthropology, archeology and colonial history to protect the archaeological and ethnographic patrimony of Colombia.

President Eduardo Santos Montejo invited Rivet to come from France to establish an academic teaching institute, which would formalize anthropological studies in the country.

The institute was to be founded on scientific principals to investigate and analyze the diverse ethnic groups of Colombia.

[6][7] In 1952, the two organizations were merged, to form the Colombian Institute of Anthropology under the Ministry of Education.

In 1999, this organization was merged with the Colombian Institute of Anthropology to form the present entity.