Anthropology

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to anthropology, combining physical and cultural perspectives to examine human origin, variation, and social development. It reviews fossil evidence and human prehistory, outlines methods for studying skeletal remains and artifacts, and traces major Paleolithic and Neolithic tool traditions. It analyzes living human diversity, schemes of racial classification, and methodological problems in assessing biological and cultural differences. It treats language as a system of relationships, surveying speech families, sound laws, and connections between speech and culture. It closes with regional studies of prehistoric and historic culture-areas, supported by maps and diagrams that illustrate patterns of diffusion and cultural change.