82 Anthropology and Archaeology
Collections
SFU Archaeology Press by David V. Burley (CC BY-ND).
A collection of reports and monographs on topics in archaeology published by SFU Archaeology Press.
Berghahn Open Anthro by various (various CC licences).
Berghahn Open Anthro is a subscribe-to-open model being piloted by Berghahn Books in partnership with Libraria, a group of researchers who are also supporting a number of other publishers hoping to adopt this model should the pilot prove successful.
Freebookapalooza by various (various CC licences).
A list of free books regarding myth and folklore. Many of these are in the public domain.
Vertebrate Paleontology 3D Database by Brandon P Hendrick (CC BY-NC).
A collection of dinosaur bone scans.
Courses
Anthropology Mini Lectures: A collective resource for online teaching in the time of COVID19 by various (CC BY-NC-SA).
A platform for anthropologists (and those anthropology adjacent) to create and share 10-30 minute videos and accompanying texts and pedagogical resources (slides, film clips, lesson plans/assignments suitable for online submission) as a way to supplement, enliven, and collectivize the work we are all already doing to take our courses online.
Macroevolution by Dr. Dean Adams, Dr. Tracey Heath and Josh Justison (CC BY).
Evolutionary thinking provides the underpinnings of modern biology. In recent decades, the field of macroevolution (evolution above the species level) has matured into a rich discipline with a well-developed mathematical theory for testing hypotheses of species diversification, for understanding trait evolution, and evaluating patterns of covariation across the tree of life. This course will provide a synthetic view of biology and how life on earth has changed over time.
Journals
Anthropological Review: The Journal of Polish Anthropological Society by various (various CC licences).
Student Anthropologist by various (CC BY-NC-ND).
This is the flagship peer-reviewed journal of the National Association of Student Anthropologists. The journal publishes peer-reviewed, original ethnographic or theoretical student research as well as book reviews of relevant texts in anthropology and related fields.
Monographs
The Ancient Past of Keatley Creek: Volume I: Taphonomy by Brian Hayden, Andrew Henry; Rolf W. Mathewes; Marlow G. Pellatt; Pierre Friele; Dale Donovan; Paul Goldberg; Dana Lepofsky; et al. (CC BY-NC-ND).
Keatley Creek is a world heritage quality site with unusually large housepits, good preservation, clear architectural features and evidence for complex socioeconomic organization. Work done here has been at the centre of theoretical and methodological advances in archaeological studies of complex hunter/gatherers. Volume I: Taphonomy includes thorough documentation of dating, climate, soils, and site formation processes. Botanical, faunal and lithic remains are examined to see what they reveal about the formation of different types of strata (floors, roofs, middens). Stone sources are identified and the lithic assemblage is analyzed from a design theory perspective emphasizing both artifacts and debitage.
The Ancient Past of Keatley Creek: Volume II: Socioeconomy by Brian Hayden, Diana Alexander; Sylvie Beyries; Dana Lepofsky; Sara Mossop Cousins; William Middleton; Karla Kusmer; Kevin Berry; et al. (CC BY-NC-ND).
Volume II: Socioeconomy presents analyses dealing with the basic social, economic, and political organization of the prehistoric community at Keatley Creek. Faunal, botanical, and lithic remains are examined in individual chapters to determine how activities were structured within housepits of different sizes (small, medium, and large).
Archaeology of the Lower Fraser River Region by Mike K. Rousseau, Kisha Supernant, Jordan Eng; Pierre A. Friele, Vanessa P. Chang; Jeanne E. Arnold, David M. Schaepe, et. al. (CC BY-NC-ND).
a considerable number of significant and richly informative archaeological studies have been conducted within the Lower Fraser River Region of southwestern British Columbia. As a result, a great deal has been revealed and learned about pre-contact period and early post-contact period human occupation, settlement, and use of natural resources. This book aims to bring those studies together into a single volume.
The Archaeology of Kamloops by Robert L. Wilson, and Catherine Carlson (CC BY-NC-ND).
This report is concerned with archaeological excavations in the south-central interior of British Columbia, in the vicinity of Kamloops. The principal results of the research are the description and incorporation of new archaeological data into a cultural-historical synthesis for the Kamloops locality.
Archaeology, the Paleolithic of Northeast Asia, a Non-Tropical Origin for Humanity, and the Earliest Stages of the Settlement of America by Yuri A. Mochanov, Svetlana A. Fedoseeva, Richard L. Bland (CC BY-NC-ND) .
This controversial volume by Siberian archaeologists, Yuri Mochanov and Svetlana Fedoseeva, places the recent discoveries of early Paleolithic artifacts at the Diring Yuriak site on the Lena River in Siberia, dated at several million years ago, in a model of human origins in the north and thereby challenges the current ruling theory of human origins in Africa. In addition the authors provide illustrations of artifact assemblages from their forty years of research in northeast Siberia that span the early Paleolithic, Middle Paleolithic, and late Paleolithic periods.
At A Crossroads: Archaeology and First Peoples in Canada by George P. Nicholas, Thomas D. Andrews, Bruce G. Trigger, Helen Kristmanson; Kimberley L. Lawson, E. Leigh Syms, Margaret Hanna, et al. (CC BY-NC-ND).
The 20 papers in this volume were written by both Native and Non-Native authors, and provide both substance and food-for-thought concerning the complex interactions between archaeologists and contemporary indigenous peoples of Canada in regard to working together, interpretation of the past, ownership of the past, and the relationships between traditional knowledge and archaeological fact.
Lifestyle in Siberia and the Russian North edited by Joachim Otto Habeck(CC BY).
Lifestyle in Siberia and the Russian North breaks new ground by exploring the concept of lifestyle from a distinctly anthropological perspective. Showcasing the collective work of ten experienced scholars in the field, the book goes beyond concepts of tradition that have often been the focus of previous research, to explain how political, economic and technological changes in Russia have created a wide range of new possibilities and constraints in the pursuit of different ways of life.
Toolstone Geography of the Pacific Northwest by Terry L. Ozbun; Ron L. Adams; Jesse Morin; Mike K. Rousseau; Heather Kendall; Brandi Lee MacDonald; Rudy Reimer; et al. (CC BY-NC-ND).
This book includes fifteen chapters by well-known and respected authors presenting new and intriguing revelations about toolstones in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and northern California. Each chapter examines lithic raw material sources, the uses and distribution of the toolstones quarried from them, and the archaeological or anthropological inferences that studies of toolstone geography provide.
Textbooks
ANTH 101 by various (CC BY-NC-SA).
A free online textbook called The Art of Being Human along with a collection of complementary ancillary resources including lesson plans, activities, and videos.
The Art of Being Human: A Textbook for Cultural Anthropology by Michael Wesch (CC BY-NC-SA).
In this unique book, Dr. Michael Wesch shares many of his own adventures of being an anthropologist and what the science of human beings can tell us about the art of being human. This special first draft edition is a loose framework for more and more complete future chapters and writings. It serves as a companion to anth101.com, a free and open resource for instructors of cultural anthropology.
Beliefs: An Open Invitation to the Anthropology of Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion by Amanda Zunner-Keating, Madlen Avetyan, and Ben Shepard (CC-BY).
While there are many great textbooks that teach the concepts covered in this textbook, there was a need for an Open Educational Resource (OER) for students. The success of Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology and Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology inspired this project in 2020, when the authors began curating the OER at Los Angeles Valley College. The project quickly grew over the next two years to include many talented anthropology instructors, thanks to the support and guidance of ASCCC.
Digging into Archaeology: A Brief OER Introduction to Archaeology with Activities by Amanda Wolcott Paskey and AnnMarie Beasley Cisneros (CC BY-NC).
This book is intended for use in a variety of introductory archaeology settings, such as in lectures and lab courses. This text can complement an existing traditional text or completely replace a standard text. It can be used for its activities or as a study resource.
Discovering Cultural Anthropology by Antonia M. Santangelo (CC BY-NC-SA).
This book is for an introductory course on cultural or social anthropology. It is comprised of original work by Antonia M. Santangelo along with adapted / remixed material from Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Second Edition)
Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology edited by Beth Shook, Laura Braff, Katie Nelson, Kelsie Aguilera (CC BY-NC).
A comprehensive, peer-reviewed open access textbook for biological anthropology courses. Produced with support from the Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges (a section of the American Anthropological Association) and a grant from Minnesota State.
Introduction to Anthropology by Jennifer Hasty, David G. Lewis, Marjorie M. Snipes (CC BY).
This book is a four-field text integrating diverse voices, engaging field activities, and meaningful themes like Indigenous experiences and social inequality to engage students and enrich learning. The text showcases the historical context of the discipline, with a strong focus on anthropology as a living and evolving field.
Introduction to Human Osteology by Roberta Hall, Kenneth Beals, Holm Neumann, Georg Neumann, Gwyn Madden (CC BY-NC).
This text was designed for use in the human osteology laboratory classroom. Bones are described to aid in identification of skeletonized remains in either an archaeological or forensic anthropology setting. Basic techniques for siding, aging, sexing, and stature estimation are described. Both images of bone and drawings are included which may be used for study purposes outside of the classroom.
Living Heritage in Saskatchewan: Twelve Recent Projects by Sarah Hoag (CC-NC)
Whether it is called living, cultural, or intangible, the practices that make up our heritage are at the centre of community and social life. This publication presents twelves projects of living heritage safeguarding and promotion that have recently taken place in Saskatchewan. Each presentation is based on an interview with those who led the project and stands as an example of the kind of work cultural, heritage, and folklore workers and researchers have in mind when they speak of cultural, living, or intangible heritage. As a whole, this online resource also serves to highlight the vitality of heritage work and research in Saskatchewan, as well as the diversity of communities and organizations doing heritage work in the province.
Mythology Unbound: An Online Textbook for Classical Mythology by Jessica Mellenthin, Susan Shapiro,(CC-BY-NC-SA).
This mythology text has been positively-reviewed and has been successfully adopted by other faculty. It covers introductory concepts in classical mythology, from Apollo to Zeus. Includes: instructor resources, student resources, applications, summaries, exercises, solutions, and group activities.
Speaking of Culture by Nolan Weil (CC BY-NC).
The purpose of this textbook is to define culture and other concepts associated with it. This book will help you to better understand the breadth of the concept of culture and provide a vocabulary for discussing it more articulately. Culture is a broad concept that cuts across many academic disciplines. This book touches on anthropology, biology, history, mythology, political science, psychology, and sociology.
What We Now Know about Race and Ethnicity by Michael Banton (CC BY-NC-ND).
Attempts of nineteenth-century writers to establish “race” as a biological concept failed after Charles Darwin opened the door to a new world of knowledge. Yet this word already had a place in the organization of everyday life and in ordinary English language usage. This book explains how the idea of race became so important in the USA, generating conceptual confusion that can now be clarified. Developing an international approach, it reviews references to “race,” “racism,” and “ethnicity” in sociology, anthropology, philosophy, and comparative politics and identifies promising lines of research that may make it possible to supersede misleading notions of race in the social sciences.
Media Attributions
- BC Map by Adamwashere (CC BY-NC-SA).
- Sask map by Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)