1. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Human Evolution and PREHISTORY PART 1: THE STUDY OF HUMANKIND

2. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Human Evolution and PREHISTORY Chapter One: THE NATURE OF ANTHROPOLOGY Link to the American Anthropological Association Link to the American Anthropological Association

3. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Chapter Preview What is Anthropology? What Do Anthropologists Do? How Do Anthropologists Do What They Do?

4. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY  Anthropology is the study of humankind in all places and in all times  Anthropologists are interested in all aspects of humanity and human nature

5. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CANADIAN ANTHROPOLOGY  Canadian archaeology and biological anthropology began in the 19 th century with Daniel Wilson at the Canadian Institute in Toronto  Museums, academic departments and applied research were major influences, e.g. The National Museum of Canada (now Museum of Civilization)Museum of Civilization  Early research focused on aboriginal cultures and anthropologists were advocates for aboriginal rights, an important component of anthropology today

6. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CANADIAN ANTHROPOLOGY  Formal biological anthropology began with skeletal analyses, e.g. Daniel Wilson’s work on Inuit crania  In the 20 th century biological anthropology grew to encompass such research as the evolution of the brain, e.g. Davidson Black’s work in China and James Anderson’s work on variation of discrete traits

7. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE SUBFIELDS OF ANTHROPOLOGY

8. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Biological Anthropology The branch of anthropology that focuses on humans as biological organisms

9. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Palaeoanthropology The study of fossil remains with the goal of reconstructing human biological evolution

10. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Primatology The study of the biological and social nature of our closest relatives: prosimians, monkeys, apes

11. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Skeletal Biology The analysis and interpretation of bones

12. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Forensic anthropology The application of human osteology and archaeology to the legal investigation of human remains

13. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Archaeology The study of material remains and cultural features in order to describe and explain human behaviour

14. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Archaeology Pre-contact (prehistoric) The study of human behaviour in the distant past using evidence such as fire hearths, tools, pottery Historic The study of cultures with historic documents available in order to supplement material remains left behind, e.g. fur trade sites

15. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Canadian Archaeology Canadian archaeologists are typically found in Anthropology departments in universities, although this is unusual worldwide e.g. China and affiliation with history Archaeology is broadening its foundation outside of Anthropology and the university e.g. “rescue” archaeology being conducted by the private sector in the face of development projects

16. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Sociocultural Anthropology  Understood through the concept of “culture” – the often unconscious standards, socially learned, by which societies operate  Focus on human behaviour  Avoidance of culture-bound theories  Cross-cultural and long-term historical perspective

17. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Linguistic Anthropology The study of human languages and the way language is used to practice, develop and transmit culture Historical linguistics the study of language origins and change, and the relationships between languages

18. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Applied Anthropology Applying the knowledge and methods of anthropology to solve practical problems

19. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Applied Anthropology Sociocultural, e.g. First Nations Land claim negotiations Archaeology, e.g. cultural resource management (CRM) Linguistics, e.g. language retention among First Nations Medical anthropology, e.g. work with traditional healers to reconcile practices with modern medicine Forensic anthropology, e.g. work with law enforcement agencies and medical examiners to recover, identify and contextualize skeletal remains

20. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Medical Anthropology  The use of theoretical and applied approaches from cultural and biological anthropology to the study of human health and disease  Demonstrating connections between human health and political and economic forces, globally and locally

21. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Ethnography Systematic description of a particular culture based on firsthand observation using: participant observation informants holistic perspective

22. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ANTHROPOLOGY AND SCIENCE Science seeks to provide testable explanations for observed phenomena, by using imagination and skepticism We search for facts, observations verified by several skilled observers The explanations are called hypotheses The strongest hypothesis that cannot be disproven becomes a theory

23. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ORIGINAL STUDY The Strange Case of “Piltdown Man”  Was this the “missing link” or simply an ape jaw found close to a human skull?  The “missing link” hypothesis was valid theory until the discovery of more fossils in the mid-20 th century  The second hypothesis has been confirmed, with the additional evidence of deliberate alteration of the bones

24. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Risks of Culture-Bound Science 1.The motivation to verify one’s hypothesis by overlooking negative evidence 2.The problem of being culture-bound 3.The question of the validity of one’s ethnographic account

25. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES Informed explanations are made within a set of assumptions that form a theoretical perspective Biological anthropology – evolution model Archaeology – settlement archaeology processual archaeology agency theory engendered archaeology

26. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COMPARISON IN ANTHROPOLOGY Hypothetical explanations of cultural phenomena can be tested by comparing ethnographic, archaeological and/or ethnohistorical data Ethnohistory  the study of cultures of the recent past through oral histories, through accounts left by explorers, missionaries, and traders; and through analysis of such records as land titles, birth and death records, and other archival materials  Concern with reliability and objectivity of sources

27. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ANTHROPOLOGY AND THE HUMANITIES  Canadian anthropological research is mainly funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, National Science and Engineering Research Council  Emphasis in anthropology is on qualitative more than quantitative research  Most importantly, anthropologists are intensely involved with people

28. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. QUESTIONS OF ETHICS Canadian researchers are guided by the Tri- Council Policy Statement (TCPS) on ethical conduct for research involving human subjects, with specific regard to aboriginal peoples There needs to be careful consideration of notions of privacy and public life, property and language differences

29. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. QUESTIONS OF ETHICS Anthropologists recognize obligations to three sets of people:  Those whom they study  Those who fund the research  Those in the profession who expect us to publish our findings to further knowledge in the discipline

30. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. “Do No Harm”  Canadian TCPS – free and informed consent is essential  The Canadian Archaeological Association has principles of ethical conduct in regard to the archaeological heritage of Canada and to aboriginal peoples  There is a Task Force on Museums and First Peoples for proper handling of museum collections and portrayal of First Peoples in museums

31. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. IMPACT ON CONTEMPORARY LIFE Global and holistic perspectives of anthropology provide the best means of understanding modern problems e.g. discrimination based on notions of race e.g. same-sex marriage

32. COPYRIGHT © 2008 Nelson Education Ltd. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NEXT TIME: Methods Of Studying The Human Past