HABITAT ANTHROPOLOGY

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Date: Tue, 22 Jul 1997 04:38:18 +0100
Reply-To: Nold Egenter
Sender: Anthro-L
From: Nold Egenter
Subject: HABITAT ANTHROPOLOGY
To: ANTHRO-L@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU

Sorry, the following text was sent too early and without subject. It should follow the one 'The Hand was the first tool', indicating the methodological consequences of the former. Therefore: once more. Sorry for the mistake.

HABITAT ANTHROPOLOGY

Basic concepts:

Our site on 'anthropology of space and architecture' is based on

• 'constructivity' (nestbuilding behavior of the Great Apes; Yerkes 1929, The Great Apes) and

• scientific definition of 'architecture' (like zoon in zoology)

• O. F. Bollnow's 'evolution of space perception' (1963) and

• ethno-(pre-)historical system of material culture (in opposition to disciplinary dissected terms of material culture).

Basic method:

'Structural history' or 'ethno-pre-history' (Vienna school of ethnology, Wernhart 1981). Ethnology with its vital source conditions is basic for formation of theoretical approaches!

IMPLICATIONS FOR PALEO-ANTHROPOLOGY

Main topics:

2) based on hypothesis 1): reconstructions of physical developments (bipedic posture, precision grip of hand, refinement of stereoscopic view, development of brain).

IMPLICATIONS FOR PREHISTORY

Main cultural sources:

• semantic architecture:
  • 'tectiformes' and other sources of 'constructivity', rock art showing cult-scenes and tectonic signs and symbols, life-trees, tree of cognition etc. (prehistory/history),

  • fetish (ethnology, global), maypoles etc. (folklore studies, European, Asian)

• domestic architecture
  • evolution of huts, houses and higher architecture from constructivity and
  • evolution of spatial principles developed in the domain of 'semantic architecture')

• sedentary architecture
  • evolution of settlements and early state formation based on 1) and 2))

Main focus:

Basic hypothesis: