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What Is Anthropology?
Anthropology:
The Exploration of Human Diversity
Archaeology—reconstructs behavior
by studying material remains
• Anthropology—study of human
species and its immediate ancestors
– Constantly compares customs of one
society with others
• Archaeological Anthropology—study
of human behavior and cultural patterns
and process through the culture’s
material remains
– Artifacts (e.g., potsherds, jewelry, and
tools)
– Garbage
– Burials
– Remains of structures
McGraw-Hill © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
17 The Subdisciplines of Anthropology
• Archaeological Anthropology
– Archaeologists use paleoecological studies
to establish ecological and subsistence
parameters within which given groups lived
– Special interests
within biological human evolution as
anthropology: revealed by the fossil
record
• Paleoanthropology
• Human genetics Body’s ability to change as
• Human growth and it copes with stresses such
development as heat, cold, and altitude
• Human biological
plasticity
study of biology, evolution,
• Primatology behavior, and social life of
primates
• Linguistic Anthropology—study of
language in its social and cultural
context across space and time
Historical linguists—reconstruct ancient languages
and study linguistic variation through time