Sunday, March 27, 2011

NEW PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY


NEW PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
            The focus attention of the physical anthropologist of today is being changed. In the former days the physical anthropology has been considered primarily as technique. The primary object of them was to measure certain external form by means of instruments and to observe and compare these among the various groups of people. The old physical anthropology was nothing but a technique. The different body measurements and classifications were the primary aim of those days and the continued for many years without any effective changes, the reflection of which can be seen in the later period when the scientists engaged themselves mainly in body measurements in the study of evolution and race.
The methodology in physical anthropology has now been changed. The descriptive stage is now over and the analytical stage has begun. These two stages have been designated as classical physical anthropology and new physical anthropology by Wasburn. He has emphasized that though these two stages look at the things somewhat differently, yet there are no sharp limits dividing the two. The classical physical anthropology was interested in classification and not in the interpretation. For example, while studying the nose, the classical anthropologist used to take series of measurements of the nose which was regarded as an independent entity. On the basis of the measurements they attempted to classify the noses into the various groups. But it has now been seen that the nose is an integral part of the face and, therefore, there are many difficulties in studying it as a separate entity. The form of the nose is dependent on various factors.
            Benninghoff and the Seipel are of opinion that the facial is greatly influenced by the stresses of mystification. According to Baker, the force of the development teeth increases the size of the bones of the neighbouring region. The classical physical anthropology did not give stress to these inter-relating factors. Here lies the difference with the new physical anthropology. The classification of the different forms is, no doubt, use features. The somatic and osteological features are in most cases complex in nature which cannot be explained by the measuring stick alone. Washburn has stated that generally by the lower jaw is considered to be a separate unit and it can be put in metric values. But actually it is seen that the different part of the lower jaw present complex features and each part develops independently in relation to the facial regions. It should be understood prior to the evaluation of the jaw bone is made. So the new physical anthropology advocates for the adoption of new methodology to understand the things at their proper perspective.

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