Study Guide and Supplemental Readings for Biological Anthropology and Archaeology. 2013.

141 Pages·2015·5.46 MB·English

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2013 Edition

ANT 2140
Indian River State College

James W. Lett, Ph.D.
Study Guide & Supplemental Readings for Biological Anthropology & Archaeology
2013 Edition

Copyright  2013 by James W. Lett, Ph.D.

On the cover: skeletal remains stored in the catacombs of Paris. Photo by the author.

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . 5

CHAPTER 1 THE FIELD OF ANTHROPOLOGY . . . . . 7

Lecture Outlines . . . . . . . . . 8
Buried in Ice . . . . . . . . . . 17
Return of the Iceman . . . . . . . . . 19
Test Objectives . . . . . . . . . 23

CHAPTER 2 THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION . . . . . . . 25

Lecture Outlines . . . . . . . . . 26
Darwin’s Darkest Hour . . . . . . . . 33
The Ultimate Journey . . . . . . . . 35
Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial . . . . . . 39
Science and Religion . . . . . . . . . 41
Irreconcilable Differences . . . . . . . . 43
Test Objectives . . . . . . . . . 47

CHAPTER 3 PRIMATE TAXONOMY & EARLY PRIMATE EVOLUTION . . 49

Lecture Outlines . . . . . . . . . 50
Ape Genius . . . . . . . . . . 59
Test Objectives . . . . . . . . . 61

CHAPTER 4 THE ORIGINS OF HOMININS . . . . . . . 63

Lecture Outlines . . . . . . . . . 64
Becoming Human: First Steps . . . . . . . 69
Becoming Human: Birth of Humanity . . . . . . 71
Test Objectives . . . . . . . . . 73

CHAPTER 5 THE EVOLUTION OF THE GENUS HOMO . . . . . 75

Lecture Outlines . . . . . . . . . 76
Decoding Neanderthals . . . . . . . . 83
Alien from Earth . . . . . . . . . 85
Test Objectives . . . . . . . . . 87
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CHAPTER 6 THE FIRST AMERICANS & THE MESOLITHIC . . . . 89

Lecture Outlines . . . . . . . . . 90
Mystery of the First Americans . . . . . . . 97
America’s Stone Age Explorers . . . . . . . 103
Test Objectives . . . . . . . . . 107

CHAPTER 7 THE NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION . . . . . . 109

Lecture Outlines . . . . . . . . . 110
Secrets of Stonehenge . . . . . . . . . 115
Test Objectives . . . . . . . . . 117

CHAPTER 8 ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS OF THE OLD & NEW WORLDS . . 119

Lecture Outlines . . . . . . . . . 120
The Mummy Who Would Be King. . . . . . . . 127
Lost King of the Maya . . . . . . . . 131
The Great Inca Rebellion . . . . . . . . 139
Test Objectives . . . . . . . . . 141

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Introduction

Biological Anthropology & Archaeology
at
Indian River State College

Welcome to ANT 2140 at Indian River State College. This course will introduce you to the fascinating
fields of Biological Anthropology and Archaeology, which study the story of human evolution, including the
entire span of human history and prehistory. In this course, you will be introduced to what anthropologists have
discovered about the biological and cultural evolution of the human species.

ANT 2140 fulfills General Education requirements in the Social Sciences for both the Associate of Arts
and the Associate of Science degrees at Indian River State College. This course is directly comparable to other
introductory courses in physical anthropology taught at hundreds of colleges and universities around the
country, so you can be confident that the credits you earn in this course will automatically transfer to any
institution.

This Study Guide has been designed to accompany both the classroom and internet sections of ANT
2140, Introduction to Biological Anthropology & Archaeology. The eight chapters in this Study Guide
correspond to the eight units in the course; in each case, the chapters provide detailed guidance about what
you’re required to know from each unit. If you follow the suggestions contained in this Study Guide, and if you
are conscientious in your approach to your studies, you are sure to do well in this course. You are not on your
own, however. As your instructor, I am willing and eager to help you with whatever difficulties you might
experience. If you encounter any problems that might prevent you from succeeding in the course, please contact
me immediately. You are invited to stop by at any time during my office hours, or you can give me a call to
make an appointment at a time that is convenient for you. You also have the option of leaving a telephone
message on my voice mail or communicating with me via e-mail (see your syllabus for details).

James Lett, Ph.D.
Honors Professor of Anthropology & Geography
Indian River State College

[email protected]
http://faculty.irsc.edu/faculty/jlett

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the completion of this unit, you will be able to provide a fairly detailed definition of the
field of anthropology. You will be able to describe the four principal sub-fields of
anthropology—cultural anthropology, linguistics, biological anthropology, and
archaeology—and you will be able to describe the research methods used in
paleoanthropology, including osteology, molecular biology, excavation procedures, and
several specific dating techniques, both relative and chronometric.

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LECTURE OUTLINES

I. Anthropology

the scientific study of human beings, including human culture and evolutionary aspects of human
biology

II. The Sub-Fields of Anthropology

A. Cultural Anthropology

the comparative study of contemporary societies, which seeks to
explain the reasons for the similarities and differences among the
world’s cultures—i.e., the study of all aspects of human behavior

B. Linguistics

the scientific study of human language, which includes the study
of human speech as well as the nature, origins, and role of
language

C. Biological Anthropology

the scientific study of human evolution and human variation
within an evolutionary framework (also called Physical
Anthropology)

1. Research Specializations in Biological Anthropology

a. Genetics

the study of the biological inheritance of traits from
parents to offspring

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a. Primatology

the study of non-human primates (the order of
mammals that includes humans, apes, monkeys,
tarsiers, and prosimians)

b. Forensic Anthropology

the application of anthropological techniques to legal
issues—e.g., identifying personal characteristics from
human remains

c. Paleoanthropology

the study of human evolution that includes
contributions from other fields such as archaeology,
cultural anthropology, primatology, and geology

1. Research Methods in Paleoanthropology

a. Osteology

the study of the skeleton, including bone
composition, growth, and response to disease &
trauma; bones and teeth can reveal body size, form of
locomotion, diet, sex, and age at death of the
individual

b. Molecular Biology

the direct study of the genetic code (DNA) through a
variety of techniques involving laboratory analysis

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D. Archaeology

the study of non-living cultures through the excavation of their
material remains

1. Research Specializations in Archaeology

a. Historic Archaeology

the study of extinct literate cultures through the
excavation of their material remains combined with
the analysis of their written records; historic
archaeology is applicable only to some societies less

than 5,000 years old

b. Prehistoric Archaeology

the study of extinct non-literate cultures through the
excavation of their material remains alone;
prehistoric archaeology is the only archaeological
approach applicable to the study of 99% of the human

story

2. Research Methods in Archaeology

a. Excavation Procedures

i. Site

a location of human activity that is the
focus of an archaeological excavation

ii. Grid

a framework of square units imposed on a
site using surveying equipment that is
used to identify the precise location of
every find

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