Archaeological anthropology is one of the main branches of Anthropology deals with the origins and development of humankind prior to the invention of script. This branch reconstructs, describes and interprets the past human behaviour and cultural patterns through material remains such as food, tools, weapons, dresses, ornaments and houses by applying scientific methodology.

Paleoanthropology emerged as a science during the late nineteenth century. The discovery of prehistoric artifacts in Pleistocene deposits soon led to the excavation of fossilized human bones. The archaeologists and geologists who unearthed these artifacts were primarily concerned with determining whether the human fossils and the artifacts found by them actually dated from the Pleistocene, thus offering evidence for the geological antiquity of humans. Prehistoric archaeologists reconstructed the way of life of prehistoric peoples through the artifacts found, while anthropologists examined the human fossils. They wanted primarily to identify the races of prehistoric humans. It was within this context that French anthropologists began to use the term “pale´o-anthropologie” to refer to a new scientific discipline devoted to the study of prehistoric human races and human paleontology.The field of paleoanthropology studies origin and development of early humans as an interdisciplinary branch of anthropology (Goodrum, 2014).

Physical or biological anthropology is one of the four main branches of Anthropology encompasses the pattern of variation at population level by understanding the physical and genetic traits. Thus the course mainly focuses to understand the population in total from micro to macro level including genetic traits to races. This will allow the readers to equip them selves at the end of the course to find out the variations that precipitate in terms of abnormalities.

Theories of Culture and Society takes into account the theoretical perspectives that have helped in the study of society and culture. The course takes into account the contributions of the thinkers that had dealt with evolution of society and culture to how it might have move on to other spaces through diffusion known as classical theories. It reflects on historical particularism as an approach that underlines the importance of studying a society or a culture for its own self rather than comparing with others and moves on to the contemporary anthropological theories of cultural evolution and relativity. Within the ambit of contemporary theories the interpretive anthropology, post-modernism, postmodernism, post-feminism and post-colonialism has been taken up. Theoretical paradigms and debates; forms of anthropological explanation; the role of theory in the practice of anthropology is the essence of this course.

The Course introduces the Learner to disability as an interdisciplinary area of study. It comprises six Blocks and twenty Units which cover the evolving understandings and models of disability; socio-cultural dimensions and representations; disability through the lifecourse;  access to health, education, employment and political participation; advocacy and legal provisions; access and technology. It aims to sensitise learners about the issues and challenges of PwDs and foster inclusion and social justice.