What is Anthropology?

Anthropology, as it is taught at most North American universities, consists of four sub-disciplines:

• Socio-cultural anthropology is the study of contemporary societies, with an emphasis on indigenous peoples and small communities on the margins of industrial society
• Archaeology provides insights into the lives of prehistoric people by reconstructing extinct cultures with the help of excavated artifacts and structures
• Physical (biological) anthropology is concerned with the emergence of the human species and its evolution
• Anthropological linguistics is the study of indigenous languages and other, non-verbal, forms of communication

At TRU we offer introductory courses in archaeology (ANTH 1190), physical (ANTH 1110), and socio-cultural anthropology (ANTH 1210). Advanced courses are limited to archaeology and socio-cultural anthropology.

Students may obtain a general BA with an area of concentration in anthropology. We also offer a certificate in Aboriginal studies.

Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities. Alfred L. Kroeber