Grad students say that the allegations againstven der Merwe have come to dominate the wing'sday-to-day life.

"It has gotten to a point where it is a bigissue," one female graduate student says, "becauseno one will talk to him, Not even aprofessor--it's like they're scared of him, too."

"Everyone in the department knows aboutthis--this is all they talk about when they gettogether," a male student says, "But no one willdo anything about it."

Some of the graduate students interviewed havetried to put their allegations in the context of afield of study--archaeology--that has beentraditionally dominated by men.

The graduate students say that although otheruniversities have taken steps towards includingwomen at every level of research, Harvard has not.

Male and female graduate students have saidthat the lack of a female professor results infemale students not having a role model with whomthey can identify.

A female junior professor, Rosemary Joyce, wasconsidered for tenure last year, but was not giventhew position, It would have been unusual to granttenure to junior faculty members.

"I really don't want to talk about it," Joycesays. "I just want to leave Harvard in bliss."

Van der Merwe says there have simply been fewopportunities to appoint women to tenuredprofessorships.

The constant rumors, allegations andrecriminations surrounding van der Merwe have leftthe students' morale low, according to most of themore than 50 students and professors familiar withthe wing who were contacted by The Crimson. Somesay their research suffers as a result.

"With all these accusations and attitudes, wecan no longer discuss journals without peopleshooting other people down", one graduate studentsays, "Most of us have surrendered and we stay inour own little rooms."

And one male student charges: "It's definitelyharder for a woman to do good research in thatdepartment."

Former archaeology wing chair Steven William's,who was at Harvard from 1958 to 1993, acknowledgesthat "the wing has problems."

And graduate students charge that communicationbetween van der Merwe and his graduate studentshas totally broken down.

Some students suggest that is because van derMerwe spends several months each year away fromHarvard doing research in Africa.