2019-20

This course introduces students to social and cultural anthropology and therefore focuses on the concepts of society, culture and civilization.  It therefore introduces students to the different anthropological directions involved in the inquiry of these matters. Students will learn about the trajectory of anthropology and the different schools/perspectives that evolved from the early 20th century down to the post-war period and recent trends. Thus we will examine and assess functionalism, structural-functionalism, structuralism and post-structural studies.

The course consists of a general survey of the history and cultural development of the peoples of the Balkans with emphasis upon the Ottoman period until 1878. In particular, the course deals with the position of the peoples of the Balkans in the political, social, economic and cultural context of the Ottoman Empire, their intellectual development, the rise of national movements and the path towards the foundation of nation states.

Introduction to scientific thought, hypothesis, theory and law. The physical sciences in anthropology, history and archaeology. Ancient Greek evolutionists. The creation of the universe, the Big Bang, elementary particles. Galaxies and planetary systems. Plate tectonics. The evidence for evolution. Natural selection. Speciation, Darwinism and creationism. Mutations and chromosomal rearrangements. Evolutionary mechanisms and events up to the appearance of man on earth. The course is a pre-requisite for other courses in Physical Anthropology.

The course deals with the main aspects of the Byzantine state and society, including political theory, governmental organization, social structure and economic life. It deals with the course of Byzantine history from its founder, Constantine the Great (324 - 337 AD) to the capture of Constantinople in 1453.