Anthropology Course Descriptions

ANT 101 Physical Anthropology and Archaeology ... 3
Study of human evolutionary development. Principles, theories, data, and methods employed by physical anthropologists and archaeologists used to cover subjects such as evolution, human prehistory, the fossil evidence of homo sapiens and ancestral forms. Spring.

ANT 102 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ... 3
Study of diverse human cultures. Introduction of basic concepts and techniques practiced by cultural anthropologists. Topics include language, kinship, gender, economics, politics, ecology, and religion. Discussion of problems resulting when traditional societies confront industrial societies or industrialization.

ANT 103 Introduction to Archaeology ... 3
Introduction to archaeology, with emphasis on scientific methods and procedures, tools, and techniques used by archaeologists to recover information about the past from the material remains.

ANT 105 Introduction to Biological Anthropology ... 3
Survey of common topics, including human evolutionary fossil record, modern physical variations such as “race,” forensics, and primate behavior and evolution.

ANT 151 World Archaeology ... 3
Examines archaeological discoveries from prehistoric cultures and ancient civilizations of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. Exploration of human achievements from earliest human ancestors to the present to develop understanding of human condition and foundations of modern world.

ANT 161 Archaeology of Religion ... 3
Study of what archaeology reveals about early religions beyond the information contained in historical texts. Material evidence provides different perspectives on the development, practice, and spread of religions around the world. Focus is on ancient Near East – a shared backdrop for the emergence of the world religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

ANT 171 Introduction to Egyptology ... 3
Introduction to history, geography, society, and culture of Ancient Eqypt. Special emphasis on archaeological remains. A look at how ancient Egypt foundation for the modern world has been studied and portrayed.

ANT 201 Field School in Archaeology ... 3-6
Exploration of practical methods of archaeological survey and excavation needed to learn about past civilizations and cultures. Students will participate in a dig or survey project in St. Charles County (Saturday course) or at a location such as New Mexico or Madagascar (longer-term summer course).

ANT 202 Current Debates in Anthropology ... 3
Focuses on contemporary debates in anthropology (such as – do sexually egalitarian societies exist? Did Neanderthals interbreed with modern humans? Is ethnic conflict inevitable?) from all four subdisciplines of the field. Special emphasis and discussion of current issues in cultural anthropology.

ANT 220 Middle East: Peoples and Cultures ... 3
Survey of the cultural similarities and differences among the peoples of the Near and Middle East, including historical, ethnological, and contemporary relationships.

ANT 224 Peoples and Cultures of Africa...3
General anthropological survey of African cultures and civilizations, past and present, throughout the continent.

ANT 290 Topics in Anthropology ... 3
Exploration of topic selected by instructor. Topic varies depending on semester and instructor.