Anthropology A105 : Human Origins and Prehistory

Prof. Jeanne Sept

Anthropology Dept., Student Bldg 038

Jordan Hall 124, Monday-Wednesday 2:30-3:20
Office Hours: Wednesday 4-5:30 pm, or by appointment

855-1041; sept@indiana.edu

What made us human? The story of our past can be found in clues from a wide range of sources -- everything from details of DNA to evocative murals in Ice Age caves. This is why the scientific quest for human origins requires the curiosity of a philosopher coupled with the skills of a skeptical detective.

This course will introduce you to the study of human evolution -- a branch of anthropology which seeks to understand human uniqueness by studying the human past using scientific methods. We can learn alot about ourselves by studying the behavior of living primates, like chimpanzees. And we can look at fossils and archaeological sites for the evidence that reveals when and where humans first began to behave like "odd animals:" to walk upright, eat and cook unusual foods, invent tools and art, speak languages, and enjoy the wide range of social and cultural practices that we consider so "human" today.

Syllabus

Reading Schedule | Lectures | Assignments | Exams
Human Origins and Evolution in Africa Home Page
Jeanne Sept's Personal Home Page

Honor's Project

---