ANTHRO 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, Franz Boas, Bioarchaeology
9 Mar 2018
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Genetic variation is not responsible for a majority of the differences we see in skeletal morphology between human populations a. Driven by environmental and cultural factors that interact with the genes. Because skeletons are dynamic, they can tell us about: i. ii. iii. Skeletons can reveal life histories of individuals and populations. Bioarchaeology - incorporates skeletal biology knowledge with archaeological and historical context to approach anthropological questions. Mostly interest in living humans and racial groups: i. ii. iii. Ex: johann friedrich blumenbach; cranium classifications (racial hierarchy) Samuel morton in us, 1839, differences in cranial morphology and brain function. This type of work dominated the 19th century. Change w/ franz boas: founder of "american anthropology" a. b. First to challenge the idea of simple genetic explanations for human variation. Tries to specifically get at the interaction with biology and behavior. It is now possible to work on population level and address biocultural questions: i. ii. iii.
