2023-24

The course deals first with the explication of the formation and development over time of the concepts of semiology and semiotics as an interdisciplinary approach employed by the social sciences. The course lays particular stress on the semiotic approach to culture, through an elucidation of the concept of 'text', which, in the approach employed by Geertz, can be taken from written discourse and applied to all components of a culture.

The course examines the following topics: Definition of paleoanthropology, human evolution from fossil apes to modern humans, human species, human evolutionary anatomy, paleolithic technologies, life histories of hominins, excavation techniques and radiometric dating and microanalyses.

The course forms an introduction to the study of palaeopathology, palaeodemography, osteometry (e.g. stature estimation, craniometrics) mechanical stress and activity indicators, palaeonutrition and to all the modern chemical, biochemical and radiological methods (e.g. stable istotopes) that accompany them. The course is accompanied by practical sessions in the Laboratory of Anthropology of the Department.