Since the majority of human existence occurred long before written records and historical documents were available, this course introduces students to the fundamentals of prehistoric archaeology. The course surveys human origins, investigates the emergence of domestication and agriculture, and explores the rise of settlements and civilization. A global perspective is taken in the study of the prehistoric human past. Topics include cross-cultural treatments of social systems such as politics, economics, family and marriage, and kinship. General theories of cultural interpretation and change are discussed in a broad geographical context.
Students apply concepts and complete a mini-project using anthropological research techniques.
Forensic sciences use methods and applications from anthropology in the investigation and detection of crime, the processing of mass disasters, the recovery of war dead and missing persons, and in international human rights investigations. The course covers the development of forensic anthropology, examines the theoretical and methodological bases of forensic anthropology, and considers present applications as well as future directions in this relatively new subfield of anthropology. Open only to Associate of Arts or Associate of Science students preparing to graduate within two academic quarters.