odyssey

Culture

Shared values, ideas, concepts, meanings, and rules that shape how human beings live.

Enculturation

The process by which culture is learned, beginning at birth.

Biocultural evolution

The interaction between biological and cultural factors in human development.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency to view one’s own culture as superior to others.

Cultural relativism

The perspective that cultures should be understood on their own terms, without judgment.

Cultural superiority

The belief that one’s cultural norms and practices are the right or natural way of living.

Cultural traditions

The integrated customs, beliefs, and practices within a culture.

Four-field approach

A methodology in anthropology that includes physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, archaeology, and linguistic anthropology.

Physical Anthropology

The subdiscipline of anthropology concerned with humans as a biological species.

Cultural Anthropology

The study of contemporary societies and cultures, including their practices and norms.

Archaeology

The examination of the artifacts of past societies to understand their cultures.

Linguistic Anthropology

The study of language in its cultural and social context.

Applied Anthropology

The application of anthropological knowledge and techniques to solve practical problems.

Holism

The approach in anthropology that considers the full complexity of human experience.

In situ

Refers to an artifact or feature discovered in its original location of deposition.

Anthropocene

The proposed geological epoch highlighting significant human impact on Earth’s systems.

Stratigraphy

The study of soil and rock layers to establish relative chronology.

Dendrochronology

An absolute dating method using tree rings to determine the age of wood.

Carbon-14 Dating

A method for dating organic materials by measuring the decay of Carbon-14.

Terminus post quem

The earliest time that an event or deposit may have occurred.

Terminus ante quem

The latest time that an event or deposit may have occurred.

Paleolithic

The Old Stone Age, characterized by the use of chipped stone tools.

Mesolithic

The Middle Stone Age, marked by the development of microliths.

Neolithic

The New Stone Age, which saw the advent of agriculture and permanent settlements.

Bipedalism

The ability to walk upright on two legs, a key trait in human evolution.

African Rift Valley

A critical region for human evolution, yielding many important hominin fossils.

Social Brain Theory

The hypothesis that social group size correlates with brain size and complexity.

New Theory (Multiregional Hypothesis)

The idea that modern humans evolved concurrently in different regions from earlier hominins.

Traditional Theory (Out of Africa Theory)

The perspective that modern humans originated in Africa and migrated out to other parts of the world.

Antikythera Mechanism

An ancient geared device considered the world’s first analog computer, predicting astronomical positions.

Lascaux Cave Paintings

Early human artworks that showcase symbolic expression and possible proto-writing.

Evolutionary Epistemology

The concept that knowledge evolves through variation and selection, similar to biological evolution.

Distributed Cognition

The idea that knowledge is not solely within individuals but distributed among groups and tools.

Tacit & Embodied Knowledge

Knowledge acquired through practical experience rather than verbal instructions.

Lost or Cyclical Knowledge

The notion that ancient scientific knowledge may have been lost and rediscovered over time.

Knowledge as Cultural Emergence

Understanding that knowledge arises from human interaction with their environment.

Social Structures

The patterns of relationships that form the backbone of culture, including kinship and family networks.

Prejudice

Unjustified or incorrect attitudes or beliefs towards individuals based on their cultural background.

Discrimination

The unfair treatment of individuals based on their cultural, ethnic, or social identities.

Conflict

A serious disagreement or argument often arising from cultural differences or ethnocentric views.

Human variation

Differences in physical and genetic traits among modern human populations.