Welcome to the program of Anthropology. We are located on the fourth floor of DeBartolo Hall in room 444 and our program phone number is 330-941-3442.
We offer a BA degree in Anthropology. We also offer minors in five different areas, including Archaeology, Forensic Anthropology, and others. All of our programs are hands-on and experiential. We offer students opportunities for internships, fieldwork, and faculty-led and independent study abroad so that they emerge well-qualified to pursue graduate degrees and rewarding careers.
ANTHROPOLOGY
Anthropology is the cultural and biological study of humankind. It is a discipline that asks such question as, “What makes us human?” “How did we develop biologically and culturally?” “Where did we come from and where are we going?” Through the study of Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Cultural Anthropology at YSU, students explore these questions and the ways in which we begin to answer them. Students are broadly trained in the discipline and emerge well-trained to pursue graduate degrees and careers in and related to anthropology. The program offers numerous opportunities to work with materials in the classroom and lab, including osteological and faunal remains and artifacts. Our students participate on faculty-led archaeological class projects in Guatemala, the Bahamas, and in northeast Ohio and have joined anthropological field schools in Belize, Canada, South Africa, Cyprus, Transylvania, Poland, Spain, and elsewhere.
Chair
Loren R. Lease, Ph.D., Professor, Chair
Professor
Amanda Fehlbaum, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Qi Jiang, Ph.D., Professor
Matt O'Mansky, Ph.D., Associate Professor
ANTH 1500 Introduction to Anthropology 3 s.h.
An exploration of what it means to be human from a biological and cultural perspective using archaeology, bioanthropology, and ethnography to trace over four million years of human development.
Gen Ed: Social Science.
ANTH 1503 The Rise and Fall of Civilizations 3 s.h.
Comparative survey of the archaeological evidence on the origins, development, and collapse of the great early civilizations of the world. The transformation of societies from settled villages to urban states in Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Mexico, and Peru. Analysis of the archaeological discoveries, alternative interpretations, and general theories of cultural evolution.
Gen Ed: Social Science.
ANTH 2600 Human Osteology 4 s.h.
An examination of the anatomy of the skeleton in a defleshed state to gain an understanding of the characteristics and personal biology of individuals and exploration of the range of human variation within and between populations.
ANTH 3701 Social Statistics 4 s.h.
Measurement and interpretation of social data by the use of descriptive techniques. Examines methods of probability theory as a basis for statistical inference, hypothesis testing, correlation, chi-square, and variance analysis.
Cross-Listed: SOC 3701, CRJS 3710.
ANTH 3702 Archaeology 3 s.h.
An introduction to the methods and subject matter of archaeology in its reconstruction of Paleolithic and prehistoric cultures as inferred from artifacts.
Prereq.: ANTH 1500 or ANTH 1503.
ANTH 3703 Biological Anthropology 4 s.h.
The physical origins and development of the human species as a member of the primate order and the biological bases of human differences disclosed by human paleontology and archaeology.
Prereq.: ANTH 1500.
Cross-Listed: BIOL 3704.
ANTH 3704 Primates 3 s.h.
Primate evolution throughout the Cenozoic Era, from primate origins to the advent of hominids. Examines research into the natural behavior of a wide range of primates, focusing on the social organization of terrestrial monkeys and apes.
Prereq.: ANTH 3703.
ANTH 3705 Cultural Anthropology 3 s.h.
A cross-cultural comparison of the cultural norms that regulate society, emphasizing the functional prerequisites for the existence of society and individual demands on society.
Prereq.: ANTH 1500.
ANTH 3760 Cultures of Afro-Eurasia 3 s.h.
An examination of the ethnography, cultural contributions, and achievements of Old World peoples, which may include the cultures of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia or Australia and Oceania. May be taken up to three times for credit if the topic is different.h in AFST, including AFST 2601.
Prereq.: ANTH 3705 or 6 s.
ANTH 3761 Cultures of the New World 3 s.h.
An examination of various topics in New World cultures. Topics vary by semester and may include native South Americans, native North Americans, Native Americans' civil rights, the reservation system, and others. May be taken up to three times for credit if the topic is different.
Prereq.: ANTH 1500.
ANTH 3761M Cultures of the New World: American Material Culture 3 s.h.
Examples include the contextual analysis of children's books, foodways, and sacred spaces. Topics vary by semester and may include native South Americans, native North Americans, Native Americans' civil rights, the reservation system, and others. May be taken up to three times for credit if the topic is different.
Prereq.: ANTH 1500.
ANTH 3775 Native North Americans 3 s.h.
Detailed discussion of the culture and achievements of the tribal peoples native to North America.
Prereq.: ANTH 1500.
ANTH 3777 Bahamian Archaeology 3 s.h.
Examines the prehistory and ecology of the Bahamas and entails archaeological surveys and excavation of sites. May be repeated once.
Prereq.: ANTH 3702 or permission of the instructor.
ANTH 3778 Archaeological Techniques 1-9 s.h.
Practice in archaeological field methods, including surveying, mapping, excavation, and artifact analysis. Amount of field work and lab analysis can vary from four weeks to one semester. Credit hours may vary accordingly from 1 to 9 hours with approval of the instructor and department chair.
Prereq.: ANTH 3702 or permission of the chair.
ANTH 3779 Fieldwork in Historical and Industrial Sites Archaeology 3 s.h.
Excavation of New World sites after 1492, culminating in the physical examination of the remains of historical, industrial, and post-industrial sites. Techniques for literature search and fieldwork. May be repeated once with different site or theoretical focus.
Prereq.: ANTH 3702 or permission of chair.
ANTH 3780 Forensic Anthropology 1 4 s.h.
Forensics from the perspective of anthropology, especially through hands-on study of human remains. Methods of determining the sex, age, ancestry, and stature of an individual. Field methods for forensic anthropology and trauma analysis. 4 s.h.
Prereq.: ANTH 2600 or BIOL 3705.
ANTH 3790 Aging in Cross-Cultural Perspective 3 s.h.
Examines the phenomenon of aging from cross-cultural perspectives with an emphasis on cultural evolution and its impact upon the status, roles and cultural values associated with aging and the aged. Listed also as SOC 3790 and GERO 3790.
Prereq.: ANTH 1500 or SOC 1500, or GERO 1501.
ANTH 4800 Undergraduate Research 1-2 s.h.
Research participation under the direction and guidance of a full-time faculty member. Designed to acquaint the advanced student with special research problems associated with various aspects of the discipline. May be repeated to a maximum of 4 s.h.
Prereq.: Permission of chairperson and junior standing.
ANTH 4801 Anthropological Thought 3 s.h.
Analysis of the theories and methodology of the major contributors to contemporary anthropological thought, such as the evolutionist, diffusionist, functional, and multilinear schools.
Prereq.: ANTH 1500: Introduction to Anthropology and sophomore standing .
ANTH 4824 Afro-Eurasian Archaeology Topics 3 s.h.
Examination of the development of Afro-Eurasian societies (Africa, Europe, Far East, Middle East, and Oceanic cultures). May be taken twice for credit if topic is different.
Prereq.: ANTH 1500: Introduction to Anthropology.
ANTH 4825 Archaeology of the Americas: Topics 3 s.h.
Examination of the archaeological evidence of the development of cultures in the Americas. Topics vary by semester and may include historical archaeology, North American prehistory, Ohio prehistory, Maya, Aztec and Inca, South American prehistory, and others. May be taken up to three times for credit if the topic is different. Some topics may include field work.
Prereq.: ANTH 1500: Introduction to Anthropology.
ANTH 4850 Research Methods 3 s.h.
An introduction to methods employed in social research. Attention is given to (1) the logic of sociological inquiry and the relationship between theory and methods; (2) the various qualitative and quantitative methods; (3) research design, data collection, organization, analysis, interpretation and application; (4) the social, cultural, political, and ethical context of social research; and (5) computer skills employed in data analysis. Listed also as SOC 4850 or GERO 4850.
Prereq.: SOC 3701 or ANTH 3701.
ANTH 4860 Senior Thesis 2 3 s.h.
Students Implement and complete a quantitative or qualitative research project and paper on the proposal approved by the thesis advisor.
Prereq.: Senior status in Anthropology.
Gen Ed: Capstone.
ANTH 4881 Forensic Anthropology 2 4 s.h.
A continuation of Forensic Anthropology 1. An in-depth examination of the human skeletal system, its differentiation from other commonly found animal remains, and the ways in which skeletal remains help determine the cause of death, trauma to skeleton, antemortem skeletal conditions, postmortem interval, postmortem changes to bone, additional aspects of individualization, etc.
Prereq.: ANTH 2600 with "C" or better.
ANTH 4882 Paleoanthropology 3 s.h.
The origin and evolution of the human species in biological terms from studies of human evolution and emergence of certain critical biocultural essentials. Emphasis on fundamentals of paleoanthropological research, evidence of human evolution, important fossil finds and sites, and phylogenetic relationships.
Prereq.: ANTH 3703 with "C" or better; or BIOL 3759 with "C" or better.
ANTH 4890 Advanced Topics in Archaeology 3 s.h.
Study of select subjects dealing with various aspects of advanced archaeological issues, methodologies, techniques, and applications. Topics vary by semester and include archaeological laboratory techniques and cultural resource management. May be taken twice with different topics.
Prereq.: ANTH 3702.
ANTH 6910 Special Anthropological Problems 3 s.h.
Advanced seminars focusing on independent study at the graduate level. The study of archaeology, its methods and functions; human origins and differentiation; anthropology of religion; and cultural change and its impact. May be repeated with different topic.