Anthropology and Archaeology
Research guide for anthropology and archaeology covering cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology with databases, fieldwork resources, and GIS tools.
Key Terms and Acronyms
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Cultural Anthropology
- Ethnography: Detailed description of a culture based on fieldwork
- Cultural relativism: Understanding cultures in their own context
- Kinship: System of family and social relationships
Archaeology
- Stratigraphy: Study of soil layers to determine chronological sequence
- Provenance: Original location and context of artifacts
- In situ: In original position (Latin for "in place")
- Artifact: Object made or modified by humans
- Excavation: Systematic recovery of archaeological materials
Biological/Physical Anthropology
- Hominid: Members of the human evolutionary family
- Primatology: Study of non-human primates
- Paleoanthropology: Study of human evolution through fossils
Linguistic Anthropology
- Morpheme: Smallest unit of meaning in language
- Phoneme: Smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning
- Language family: Group of related languages with common ancestor
Key Acronyms
- NAGPRA: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (U.S. law)
- GIS: Geographic Information Systems
- CRM: Cultural Resource Management
- AMS: Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (dating method)
- AAA: American Anthropological Association
- SAA: Society for American Archaeology