Ruth E. Tringham, associate professor of Anthropology, will take a tenured this fall in the anthropology department of the University of California at Berkeley, following the rejection of her tenure application at Harvard last spring.

Gerald Berryman, acting chairman of the anthropology department at Berkeley, said yesterday a search committee found Tringham to be "the number-one candidate for the position."

Tringham, who is currently performing archaelogical research in Yugoslavia and could not be reached for comment, will hold a tenured associate professorship at Berkeley, Berryman said.

Few Slots

Gordon R. Willey, acting chairman of the Anthropology Department, said yesterday that the department has very few tenured positions open.

"Ruth had been here seven years -- we had to let her go," Willey said, adding that eight years is the maximum time non-tenured professors may hold positions in the department.

Berryman said Tringham will continue her work in Old World Archaelogy at Berkeley.