ANTHROPOLOGY A105/A303
HUMAN ORIGINS AND PREHISTORY/
EVOLUTION AND PREHISTORY

Section 4086/4088
3 Credits
Instructor: Kendra L. Malm
OFFICE Student Building 348
HRS Mon 1:00 - 3:00
Wed 6:00 - 7:00

Location and time- Monday and Wednesday, 7:00-9:15 PM, Student Building 150. We will meet twice a week for a two-hour period which will be broken by a 10-minute break. While most of the period will be taken up with lecture, there m ay also be videos, discussions, and/or hands-on projects.

Description- This is an introductory course covering the broad outlines of human origins; where, when, how and why Homo sapiens came to be. We will study both the biological and cultural changes that have occurred as the human lineage has developed, and the evidence that we have for those changes. Thus, we will be focusing on two of the four sub-fields of Anthropology. Biological evidence (things like fossils and DNA) is studied by Physical Anthropologists, while cultural evidence (tools and other clues to behavior) is the domain of the Archaeologist.
Topics will include evolutionary thought, genetics and heredity, primates, the origins of bipedalism, the origins of culture and technology, the evolution of language and the brain, the emergence of modern humans, and the origins of art, agriculture & civilization. We will not only study the what of human evolution (fossils, sites, artifacts), but also the why and how - why do humans walk on two feet, how did language develop, why did Neandertals go extinct, why are there cave paintings in France: questions such as these are the primary focus of research today. Since this is a combined 100 level and 300 level class, it will be a bit more "in depth" than most humanities introductory classes.

Your instructor- I am a graduate student in the Department of Anthropology and an affiliate of CRAFT (Center for Research into the Anthropological Foundations of Technology) here at IU. I have a BA in Anthropology from the University of Washington, Seattle and have done fieldwork in Israel & museum work in Seattle. My research focus is upon lithic technology; understanding the making and use of stone tools.

Readings- The textbook will be Understanding Physical Anthropology and Archaeology by Turnbaugh, Jurmain, Nelson and Kilgore, Sixth edition (1996). This is a good text book for a 200 level class, so it will provide a bit more detail than you would normally get for this class. My lectures will explain the basic information and concepts, and I'll refer you to the text for specific details.

Tests- There will be two mid-terms and a final which will consist of multiple choice questions. A303 students will take the same tests as A105 students, as the questions will be fairly challanging. The questions will cover material from both the lectures and the text, with the lectures being stressed more. Each mid-term will have forty questions on it worth one point each. The final will consist of eighty questions, one half of which will cover material since the last mid-term and the other half being comprehensive. The date of the final will be the last day of class, Wednesday, August 12, 7:15-9:15 PM. Any make-up exams for missed mid-terms will be essay-type and have to be completed within a week of the original test. If you make an appointment with me for a make-up exam and not show up, you will automatically get a zero for the exam (unless you've been hospitalized).

Take-home Assignments- There will be four short take-home assignments which will be given out and are due as shown on the schedule. There will be more detailed versions of the assignments for the A303 students, which will be worth more points. Each will have a "set-up" explaining the problem, some data pertaining to it, and a series of questions for you to answer. I will expect your write-up to be word processed or typed. One point per class session will be deducted for late assignments. You may work together on them (and are encouraged to), but you must do your write-ups individually; if I find two assignments that are copies of one another, or only slightly altered, both will recieve zeros.

Grading- The total points that can be earned over the course of the semester are 210 for A105 and 230 for A303 divided in the following manner:

The preliminary curve will be based on the following scale; 90% of the total points for an A, 80% for a B, 70% for a C, 60% for a D, and less than 60% for an F. A105 and A303 will be assessed seperately. I expect to revise this downward after I see how well people are doing, using the top person's score as the 100% mark. However, it will not get any worse than the above scale; 80% will always be at least a B-, and may become a B, B+, or even an A- depending on how well the class as a whole is doing. Conceivably, everyone could get an A. I don't generally fail people unless they actually miss a test; the largest group of grades will likely be in the B range. In addition, I will be giving out 5 extra credit points for attendance which will be added on top of your other points after the grade curve has been decided.

Webpage- I will also be maintaining a web page for this class with course info; syllabus, calendar, announcements and such. I will also post my lecture notes after I've given the lecture, and the points people heve earned for assignments and tests. Plus I'll be putting links up to sites that relate to the topics we cover in class so that you can do some exploring on your own, if you find something particularly interesting.

Academic misconduct- Will not be tolerated and be grounds for failure of the class. Consult the Code of Student Ethics for more details.

Return to A105/A303 Home Page