1. Biological Anthropology
Introduction to Biological Anthropology

2. What is Anthropology? Anthropo logy anthropos - ἄνθρωπος legein - λέγω
from the Greek
anthropos - ἄνθρωπος
meaning “man; man-faced; a human being”
from the Greek
legein - λέγω
meaning “to speak”

3. The “Study of” or “Science of”
bios + logy = the study of bios (“life”)
geo + logy = the study of geo (“earth”)
psykhe + ology = the study of psykhe (“breath”, “spirit”, “soul”)
theos + logy = the study of theos (“God”)

4. Four-Field Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Archaeology
Linguistic Anthropology
Biological (or Physical) Anthropology

5. Cultural Anthropology
Focuses on the role culture plays in human life
Culture is
Learned by individuals as they grow up within a group
The primary means by which a human is enculturated into his/her culture
Passed on from generation to generation
Constantly changing

6. Three Components of Culture
Material
Behavioral
Ideational

7. Archaeology Focuses on human life in the past Humans of the past
Relied on their cultures to adapt
Shared many common features with recent and modern humans
Saw their cultures change as a result of the same processes that change cultures today

8. Linguistic Anthropology
Focuses on the role language plays in human life
Language is
Learned by individuals as they grow up within a group
Passed on from generation to generation
The primary means by which a human learns his/her culture
Constantly changing

9. Biological Anthropology (aka“Physical Anthropology”)
Focuses on humans as biological organisms
Biological organisms
Have similar features and needs
Are the products of evolutionary and environmental forces
Are genetically unique

10. Four-Field Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Archaeology
Linguistic Anthropology
Biological (or Physical) Anthropology
Applied Anthropology (aka the “fifth field”)
the cultural fields
the biological field
making it relevant

11. Anthropology is a Biocultural Discipline

12. Biological Anthropology
Humans are individual organisms whose patterns of thought, feeling, and activity are at least partially by the other humans with whom we interact
An explicitly scientific field
 uses the tools of biology and other sciences

13. The Six Steps to Humanness
4. speech
5. hunting
6. domesticated foods
1. bipedalism
2. non-honing canine
3. material culture and tools