Joseph Allen Towles (August 17, 1937 – December 19, 1988) was an African American anthropologist and author of the books Nkumbi Initiation and Asa: Myth of Origin of the Blood Brotherhood Among the Mbo of the Ituri Forest.
[2] His life partner was Colin Turnbull, who created an archive of Towles' papers after his death.
[3] According to In the Arms of Africa, Towles' work on "Man in Africa Hall" gave the exhibit greater staying power by including Egypt, which was typically included in Middle Eastern studies rather than African studies at the time.
The exhibit was one of the first in the United States to situate the study of Egypt within Africa rather than the Middle East.
[2] Turnbull and Towles spent time in Africa conducting anthropological fieldwork with the Ik, Mbuti, and Mbo peoples.