Anthropology is the systematic study of the humanity both past and present. The course introduces students to the four subfields of anthropology, which include archaeology, biological, linguistic and cultural anthropology. Students will learn about the concepts and methods that anthropologists use to study our species and gain a broader perspective on the human experience.

This course provides a basic introduction to the broad field of biological anthropology. The research interests of biological anthropologists include the history and development of modern evolutionary biology, molecular and population genetics, modern primates, the primate and human fossil record, and modern human biological diversity. Biological Anthropology concentration students are required, and others are encouraged, to enroll concurrently in 1135L.

This is an introductory course that provides an overview of cultural anthropology as a subfield within the broader discipline of anthropology and as a research approach within the social sciences more generally. The course presents core concepts and methods of cultural anthropology that are used to understand the ways in which human beings organize and experience their lives through distinctive cultural practices. More specifically, this course explores social and cultural differences and similarities around the world through a variety of topics such as: language and communication, economics, ways of making a living, marriage and family, kinship and descent, race, ethnicity, political organization, supernatural beliefs, sex and gender, and globalization. This course ultimately aims to present a broad range of perspectives and practices of various cultural groups from across the globe.

This is an introductory course which provides an overview of the discipline of Linguistic Anthropology. The course will discuss the implications of language within anthropology, as well as within the sciences and social sciences more generally. The course explores the core concepts and methods of linguistic anthropology, such as the basic structure of language, first and second language acquisition, bilingualism, and social and regional variations that are used to help students understand what it means to be human and the role of language in human societies.

This class explores different ways of studying and interpreting the past through a survey of archaeology’s historical, theoretical, and methodological development. If you are interested in archaeology as a career (or even just trying out an archaeological field school), this course is critical: it will provide you with the basic tools for conducting archaeological research and with an understanding of the background of the discipline. For this reason, this course is required for Anthropology majors with an Archaeology concentration. Even if you know you don’t want to be an archaeologist, though, this class may interest you. Have you ever wondered how archaeologists know what they know about the past? Are you skeptical about some archaeological claims? Have you ever read a statement about the past and thought, “is this really true?” This class will provide you with the skills, both conceptual and practical, to answer those questions.

Archaeology is the systematic study of the human past through material remains. This course introduces students to the physical remains of past societies and compares and contrasts archaeological development in different regions. Students will explore the dynamics of the human past and its influences on contemporary society.

A course exploring a topic not covered by the standard curriculum but of interest to faculty and students in a particular semester.

The purpose and theory of the study of archaeology; relates archaeology to anthropological principles and the practice of science. Prerequisite: 1211 and 1211L. {Yearly}

An overview of the prehistory of Europe from its initial settlement through the first farming societies.

Development of ideas and theories in sociocultural anthropology; focus on topics such as integration of human societies, sources of change in economic and cultural systems.

Culture and history of indigenous peoples of South America. Selected examples from lowland and highland regions.

This class contextualizes issues of complex social violence in Colombia by both a broad attention to Colombian history, society and culture, and by literatures that address various kinds of identity formation and dynamism.

Current topics in sociocultural anthropology to be explored in experimental courses.

Events and processes in the emergence and evolution of the human lineage-from the origins of Australopithecus, through the emergence of the genus Homo, to the evolution of early modern humans-based on the human fossil record. Offered every other spring.

Archaeological survey of the cultures of ancient Mexico from earliest inhabitants to the period of the Spanish Conquest. This course explores environmental, social, and political aspects of the rise and fall of societies across Mexico. This a starred (*) level course and may be taken for graduate credit by students enrolled in a graduate program. A graduate student enrolled in a starred course numbered below 500 may be required to complete extra work.

This class explores ethical issues and debates surrounding heritage-making practices and discourses through lens of ethnological, archaeological, and evolutionary anthropology. It problematizes the boundaries between different constructions of the past and present.

Directed study under the supervision of a faculty member. Restriction: permission of instructor. {Offered upon demand}

Topics of archaeological interest including gender in archaeology, European contact and post-processualism.

(Also offered as ANTH 544, BIOL 444/544, EPS 444/544, GEOG 444/544, MSST 444/544.) Interdisciplinary overview of how science museum resources are used to study change in human communities, natural, and physical systems over space and time. Course activities emphasize materials science, data science, and team science. Restriction: instructor permission.

(Also offered as MUS 448/548) The cultural study of music and sound. Course materials are drawn from written and audio music ethnographies of contemporary indigenous, diasporic, refugee, exile, and industrial communities.

A course exploring a topic not covered by the standard curriculum but of interest to faculty and students in a particular semester.

The analysis of the skeletal remains from past human populations, oriented at the mortality, morbidity and genetic affinities of those extinct populations. Prerequisite: *351L. {Alternate years}

This course examines theory, data and methods used by genetic anthropologists to address questions about human origins and prehistory, race, natural selection, disease, and the social and scientific implications of research in genetic anthropology. Prerequisite: 1135 or BIOL 1110 or BIOL 1140 or BIOL 2110C or BIOL 2410C.

Basic concepts, methods and approaches used in the analysis of archaeological pottery. Lectures cover concepts and strategies. Labs give practical experience with techniques of analysis. {Spring}

Directed study of topics not covered in regular courses.

Field research for qualified advanced undergraduate or graduate students with previous experience in archaeology, biological anthropology, human evolutionary ecology, linguistics or general ethnology. Problems are selected on the basis of student-faculty interest and field research opportunities. Restriction: permission of instructor. {Offered upon demand}