Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (31 page)

The study or science of man, which began to develop as a separate discipline in the 19th century. In its widest sense anthropology embraces human physiology and psychology as well as the study of human societies and all other aspects of human culture past and present.
In North America anthropology is traditionally divided into four main fields: cultural anthropology, which deals with the description and analysis of the forms and styles of social life past and present; archaeology, which looks at sequences of social and cultural evolution under diverse natural and cultural conditions; anthropological linguistics, which focuses on the formation and relationships between human languages and the relationships between language and culture; and physical anthropology, which concentrates on the animal origins of humans, the development of human anatomy, and the distribution of hereditary variations amongst contemporary populations.
In Britain archaeology is seen as a separate but related discipline, while the non-physical side of anthropology is traditionally divided into social anthropology and cultural anthropology. Cultural anthropology covers the whole range of human activities which are learned and transmitted. Social anthropology is more concerned with social institutions, social values, social organization, and social structure.

 
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Referring to objects or structures that resemble or have human form, attributes, or personality. Usually applied to figurines or the representation of gods or animals.

 
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An intellectual tradition of enquiry that developed in Europe in the 16th and early 17th centuries
ad
as a result of new interests in nature, antiquity, the Renaissance of learning, and the addition of time-depth to people's view of the world. It was in some senses a substitute for the study of classical antiquities, and a reflection of emergent national pride. It may also have been prompted by a reaction to the Reformation, when the monasteries were destroyed and great libraries disposed of. In the 18th century it was invigorated by the rediscovery of ancient Greece and the classical world, the Romantic movement, and the rapid development of natural history.

 
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A person whose interest in the past is based upon the traditions of antiquarianism.

 
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In the context of the
American Antiquities Act
this term is used to refer to historic or prehistoric monuments and ruins, or objects of great age, or objects used in conjunction with ancient rituals or American Indian religious practices.

 
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The principal independent international academic journal devoted to the field of archaeology. Established in 1927 by
O. G. S. CRAWFORD
, the quarterly journal is published by the Antiquity Trust and includes papers, reports, reviews, news, and editorial comment relating to archaeology of all periods in all countries.

 
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