ANTH 284 - Ancient Diet and Disease

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

Diet and disease are key forces that have shaped what it means to be human. This course uses anthropological research to examine human subsistence and illness from a biocultural perspective, drawing upon case studies that highlight how scientific methods can answer anthropological questions about life in the past. We investigate how multiple lines of evidence—including plant and animal remains, chemical analyses, and studies of teeth—illuminate past human diets, incorporating case studies that range from the Paleolithic diets of prehistory circa 300,000 years ago to the “Paleo Diet” of the 21st century. We also explore how skeletal, pathological, and genetic evidence are being used in concert to understand how humans confront challenges posed by diseases such as leprosy, tuberculosis, Ebola, and COVID-19. Overall, this course introduces students to anthropological approaches to biocultural adaptation at both evolutionary and historical time scales. Aviva Cormier.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS