ANSC 101
Anthropology of the Human Past
1. Catalog Entry
ANSC 101
Anthropology of the Human Past
Credit hours (3)
This course serves as the introduction to the Anthropological Sciences and thus to
the biocultural origin and evolution of the human species and human societies worldwide.
It includes a survey of human and nonhuman primate evolution and prehistory (including
the methods and theories used by anthropologists to illuminate these subjects) and
the emergence of fully modern humans in terms of their behavior and culture. The more
recent evolution of societies as diverse as small-scale hunter-gatherers to more complex
civilizations is also considered in the context of the biocultural factors that have
shaped their development. Finally, students will be introduced to the range of modern
applications in anthropological sciences, ranging from cultural resource management
to forensic investigation.
Note(s): This course has been approved for credit in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Area
of the Core Curriculum. General Education and Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning
designated course.
2. Detailed Description of Course
This course will cover such topics as the biological evolution of humans and our nonhuman
primate relatives, the cultural evolution of humans since our origin until the development
of complex civilizations, the origin and distribution of cultural and biological variation
found in human populations throughout time and across geographic space, and the interaction
between the biological forces of evolution (genetics, environment, ecology) and the
cultural adaptations of human populations. More specifically this course will cover:
1) An introduction to the Anthropological Sciences
2) An introduction to biological evolution and heredity
3) The interaction of biology and culture in understanding humans past and present
4) Non-human Primates:
5) Taxonomy
6) Behavior
7) Hominid evolution:
8) Early hominids
9) Genus Homo
10)Modern human origins-
11)Neandertals, Anatomically Modern Homo sapiens
12)Upper Paleolithic
13)The Neolithic: origins of agriculture
14)Early complex societies:
15)Old World
16)New World
17)Human variation and adaptation
3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
As this will be a 100-level introductory course available to students from many majors
and levels (including incoming freshmen), course content will be presented mainly
through classroom lectures, readings, discussions, short writing assignments, and
audio-visual materials. Whenever possible, current anthropological studies (both popular
and professional) will be highlighted to introduce students to the Anthropological
Sciences. Students will be encouraged to apply the discipline to understanding their
past as well as solving current and future world problems.
4. Goals and Objectives of the Course
This course is designated as R (Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning) Area for the
REAL Curriculum and fulfills the learning goal: To apply scientific and quantitative
reasoning to questions about the natural world, mathematics, or related areas. Students
will fulfill the learning outcomes in this area: apply scientific and quantitative
information to test problems and draw conclusions and evaluate the quality of data,
methods, or inferences used to generate scientific and quantitative knowledge.
This course may be applied to the REAL Studies Minor in Scientific/Quantitative Reasoning.
Having successfully completed this course, the student will be able to:
1) Explain the origin and development of human biological and cultural variation
2) Describe and explain the modern distribution of human biological and cultural
diversity
3) Discuss and evaluate competing theories for the long term trends in human biocultural
evolution
4) Discuss the interaction between human populations and the natural world throughout
time and space, including
human adaptation and environmental impacts
5) Recognize and describe major behavioral science concepts like the culture concept
and the impact of our biology
and culture on the individual and the larger population
6) Use anthropological methods and theory to explain the origins and development
of human social, economic and
political inequality
5. Assessment Measures
Three assessment measures will be used in this class including exams, quizzes, and
short writing assignments.
1) Quizzes may be used as both a self-assessment measures for the students as
well as a way for the instructor to
gauge student understanding of class materials. The quizzes will be short
and given on a weekly basis.
2) There will be four exams given during the course of the semester. These exams
will be part multiple-choice and part
written exercises.
3) Several short writing assignments may be given throughout the semester and
will allow students to demonstrate
mastery of key course concepts.
6. Other Course Information
None.
Review and Approval
June 20, 2015
March 01, 2021