PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Course code:

00063M

Academic Year of enrolment:

2020

Year of supply:

2021/2022

Type of Course:

Related/Supplementary

Degree:

Course of 1st Cycle Degree in CULTURAL HERITAGE

Disciplinary Sector:

Anthropology

Location:

CHIETI

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

CAPASSO LUIGI

Cycle:

First semester

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

108

Prerequisites:

None

Objectives

The course aims to provide the theoretical and methodological knowledge of physical anthropology applicable in the archaeological field, and necessary for the purpose of the enhancement and conservation of human remains, ascribable to cultural heritage. The student will acquire knowledge on the biological and cultural history of the anatomically modern man and on the biunivocal correlations between biological adaptations and cultural choices.
In addition, the student will acquire the necessary skills able to give him a basic operational capacity in the field, about excavation and cataloguing of skeletal human remains.

Contents

The course deal with the main topics related to Paleoanthropology and Physical Anthropology. The course is divided into three parts. The paleoanthropological collections represent a great cultural heritage; the chronological, geographical and cultural classification of the paleoanthropological findings constitutes, therefore, the theme of the first part of the course, which illustrates the main stages of human evolution. The second part focuses on the founding principles of physical anthropology, understood as a study of the variability of anthropological characters linked to the passage of time, age and sexual dimorphism. These themes constitute the prelude to the third part of the course which will provide the basic knowledge and skills to face an anthropological excavation in archaeological contexts.

Extended Syllabus

PART I: PALEOANTHROPOLOGY
Fossil hominids: history of discoveries, presentation of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world, and description of the anatomical and behavioral characteristics of pre-human species.
The first Hominins: description of the species possibly attributable to the Ominins.
Description of the anatomical and ecological characteristics of the archaic and transitional Ominins.
Premodern Homo and anatomically modern Homo: presentation of the anatomical and cultural characteristics of the species belonging to the genus Homo, with particular reference to the Upper Paleolithic species (H. neanderthalensis, Ho fluoresiensis, Denisova ed H, sapiens).

PART II: PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Skeletal anatomy: anatomical description of the bone elements of the skeleton and their variability.
Teeth: anatomical description of deciduous and permanent teeth and their variability.
Comparative anatomy: anatomical description of the skeletons of animal species, which are most frequently found in archaeological contexts, associated with human burials.
Estimation of skeletal sex: presentation of the methods of estimating the sex of a skeletal individual, based on the morphometric characteristics of the bones and teeth.
Estimation of age at death: presentation of the methods of estimating the sex of a skeletal individual, based on the morphometric characteristics of the bones and teeth.
Overview of anthropometry: description of the anthropometric measures necessary for the reconstruction of the biological profile of a skeletal individual (stature in life, body size, physiological and pathological asymmetries).

PART III: ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
After death: from the body to the skeleton.
description of the stages of decomposition of a body, whose knowledge allows to reconstruct the original state of a burial.
Diagenesys and taphonomy: description of the transformation processes of bone, teeth and soft tissues (mummifications), which occur after death.
Funerary archeology: classification of burials (in primary and secondary, single, bisome, trisome, multiple, in closed and open space).
Excavation: description of recovery techniques and documentation of human remains in the field. Restoration: presentation of restoration techniques and consolidation of human remains.
Conservation of skeletal remains: presentation of the regulations in force concerning the conservation of human remains, and of the environmental parameters required for their preservation and musealisation.

Recommended Bibliography

Study texts:
For attending students:
1) A. CANCI, S. MINOZZI, Archeologia dei resti umani. Carocci, Roma, 2005.
2) Un testo a scelta tra:
- F. MALLEGNI, Come eravamo. LTU Guarguaglini, Pisa, 2001.
- B. WOOD, Evoluzione umana. Codice Edizioni, Torino, 2008.
- G. MANZI, L’evoluzione umana. Ominidi e uomini prima di Homo Sapiens. Il Mulino, Bologna, 2007.
- G. MANZI, Il grande racconto dell’evoluzione umana. Il Mulino, Bologna, 2013.
- G. BIONDI, O. RICKARDS, Uomini da sei milioni di anni. Carocci, Roma, 2017.
Material delivered in class.

Non-attending students will add the following texts to the previous ones:
3) F. MALLEGNI, M. RUBINI, Recupero dei materiali scheletrici umani in archeologia. CISU, Roma, 1994.
4) G. BIONDI, F. MARTINI, O. RICKARDS, G. ROTILIO, In carne ed ossa. DNA, cibo e culture dell’uomo preistorico. Laterza, Bari, 2006.

Teaching Methods

Frontal lectures and practical exercises on human casts at the Operative Unit of Anthropology.

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

The exam will consist of an oral test accompanied by a practical test that may consist of estimating sex and age at the death of a skeletal individual (cast) or compiling an anthropological form. The exam is considered passed if the student reaches the minimum grade of 18/30.

Contacts/More Information

Students reception: before and after lessons

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

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