ANT 211
Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology 

Defining Forensic Anthropology

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I.  What is anthropology?

Anthropology is the "study of humans" in a broad sense.   There are primarily three subfields of anthropology, or three general areas into which the study of humans can be classified: 

A.  cultural anthropology
B.  archaeology
C.  physical (or biological) anthropology

A fourth subfield, linguistics (pertaining to language), seems to have been absorbed by the other three subfields in many cases today, though some universities maintain it as a separate and distinct subfield.

A.  Cultural Anthropology

This subfield deals with myriad aspects of human society, culture, behavior, beliefs, ways of life, etc.  It can include studies of non-technologic societies, technologic societies, past and present, in any geographic location worldwide.

There is often much overlap with other disciplines in anthropology.   For example, cultural anthropology may overlap with studies of foreign language, economics, psychology, sociology, political science, history, the medical field, ecology, women's studies, environmental studies, and so on.

B.  Archaeology

Archaeology is the study of past cultures, through people's material remains (i.e. artifacts).  The lifeways of past peoples can be studied from the artifacts they leave behind, which can range from items as small as bits of pottery (potsherds) and tools, to large dwellings--huts, houses of worship, etc.   Archaeological research covers a vast array of cultures throughout time and space--from prehistory on up to our recent past, all over the world.

Upper Paleolithic Artifacts

Other disciplines that are often integrated with archaeology include:   geology, geography, history, and so forth.

C.  Physical (or Biological) Anthropology

Physical/biological anthropology deals with the physical and biological aspects of human and non-human primates, past and present.  Non-human primates include prosimians (e.g. lemurs, lorises), monkeys, and apes (e.g. chimps, gorillas, orangutans, etc.).

Thus, some of the more specialized areas covered under this large subfield of anthropology include, but are not limited to those listed on the following page.