ANTH 215D Archaeology

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ANTH 215DArchaeology is Anthropology Week
1 Definitions Anthropology
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Archaeology
 I. WHAT IS IT?   II. WHY DO IT? III.
ETHICAL ISSUES?   IV. GOALS OF MODERN
ARCHEOLOGY?
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I. WHAT IS IT? A. Define Anthropology 1.
location 2. scope 3. mission 4.
structure 5. methods (six distinctive
features) B. Define Archaeology 1. data
2. methods 3. theories 4.
interdisciplinary
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• Archaeology is Anthropology
• Anthropologys location in academia?
• at the intersection of the liberal arts and
  sciences
• holistic and eclectic

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• Anthropology is
• (location) ?
• A discipline situated at the
• intersection of the liberal arts and sciences
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• 2. (scope) ?
• Anthropology is the study of all people, in all
  places, and all times.
• Time dimension is archaeologys special strength.
• Ever increasing extent of humanitys range
• global
• extraterrestrial
• galactic

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3. (mission) ? Anthropology seeks to explain
similarities and differences among human
cultures.
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4. (structure) ? Anthropology is characterized
by four distinct subfields united by a shared
mission and set of strategies.
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we share basic primate plan but have developed
some unique features
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our strength as a species is the flexibility of
our cultural adaptation
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language allows shared experience, between
members of communities across generations
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we humans modify our environment, in more and
more complex ways over time
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5. (method) ? Anthropologys shared strategy is
a set of six distinctive approaches a
concept an ethical principle two perspectives,
and two methods.  
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These are TOOLS!
Please... Learn them, use them!
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• the concept of culture
• Humans are qualitatively different from other
  animals because of our capacity for and
  dependence upon culture, defined as
• ...a complex, organized, integrated system of
  learned, adaptive behavior acquired primarily
  through the use of symbols

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• principle of cultural relativity
• An ethical position, endorsed by Franz Boas,
  holds that
• a culture must be understood in terms of its own
  language, geographical context, and historical
  experience
• we must set aside our own values to study and
  understand other people.

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• holistic perspective
• Anthropologists attempt to understand all aspects
  of peoples lives--particular traits are always
  studied in the context of the whole culture.

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• evolutionary perspective
• All humans alive today are members of the same
  species, Homo sapiens, sole surviving species of
  the genus Homo. We are a product of our
  evolutionary history.

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• the comparative method
• The search for similarities and differences, or
  the search for human universals, is carried out
  by systematic examination of two or more
  cultures, point by point.

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• empirical method
• Gk. empieria experience

Data are gathered personally and usually
first-hand the anthropologist observes and
experiences the culture he or she is studying.
In linguistic and ethnographic research this is
called participant observation.
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Summarize your notes by answering What is an
anthropologist? (location, scope, mission,
structure, methods) An anthropologist is a
scholar who...
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For Wednesday

• Thomas Kelly Chapter 1
• McGhee Chapters 1 -3
• Find the syllabus on line and sign on to WOU on
  line. Find the study questions.
• The enrollment key is
• time

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Questions?