ANT 201 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Prehistoric Archaeology, Forensic Anthropology, Anthropological Linguistics
Document Summary
Anthropology: the academic discipline that studies all of humanity from a broad perspective. Archaeology: the investigation of past cultures, technology, and societies through excavation of material remains. Prehistoric archaeology: study of cultures that existed before the development of writing. Uses excavation of sites and analysis of material remains. Most information recovered from tools, pottery, ornaments, bones, charcoal. Historic archaeology: study of the past of literate peoples. Excavation of houses, stores, plantations + study of diaries, letters, newspapers. Work in museums, public agencies, and for-profit corporations. Cultural resource management: workers locate and evaluate sites of prehistoric and historic significance, then make recommendations about preservation. Contract archaeology: businesses that analyze how construction will affect historical remains. Biological / physical anthropology: study of the biological dimension of humans and other primates. Anatomy and behavior of monkeys and apes. Physical (and genetic) variations between different human populations. Primatology: subfield of biological anthropology; the study of primates (including monkeys and apes)
