ANTHROPOLOGY 130— LECTURE NOTES FOR UNIT 1
(1) Anthropology 130
Great Discoveries in Archaeology
Todd 133, MWF 9:10-1
http://libarts.wsu.edu/anthro/faculty/rackerman.html
Instructor: Robert E. Ackerman, College Hall 314,
Office Hours: MWF 10-11 and by Appointment
E-mail: ackermanr@wsu.edu
Teaching Assistant: Maia Clay, College Hall 215
Office Hours: TuTh 4-5
E-mail. maiaclay@yahoo.com
(2) Anthropology—The Study of Humans And Their Culture
Divisions of Anthropology
Physical Anthropology (Paleoanthropology)—
(a) study of humans as biological organisms (changes in body form, posture
and locomotion, diet, aging, responses to local environments, etc).
(b) Medical/dental research: problems of upright posture, clef pallet, teeth
and jaw size, etc.
(c) Search for early fossil hominins in Africa and Asia; dispersion of
hominins out of Africa, local populations and variation
(d) Genetic studies particularly DNA analysis to determine human lineages
(3) Cultural Anthropology
(a) Social/Cultural – study of living human societies and their cultures
(b) Archaeology – study of past human societies using the evidence left
behind as the result of human activity to derive ideas about their
technology, economy, social and political organization and ideology.
(c) Linguistics – study of language, its formation and structure
(4) What is Culture?
Culture as used by anthropologists refers to the fact that human behavior is learned
and that individuals in a society are taught by other members of their social group.
Culture includes not only the behavior of individuals, but the products of their
behavior (activity) that includes material, social, political, and ideological forms. In
archaeology we find artifacts (tools from the material culture) that provide insights into
past peoples’ behavior.
(5) Picture from text (p. 15)
(6) What is Evolution?
Evolution simply means change as expressed in biological organisms and in
human culture. These changes need to be adaptive to specific contexts for organisms or
cultures to survive.