Abstract
In this paper, I introduce the present conditions and general trends in the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA), and trace the history of physical anthropology in the U.S. During the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the major theoretical and methodological focus of physical anthropology was based on the model of racial typologies. In 1951, Sherwood Washburn proposed the idea of “new physical anthropology,” and in response the field grew more scientific in its approach, focusing on process, theory, and hypothesis testing. Since that time, a biocultural approach, as well as bioarchaeological or feminist perspectives, have, slowly, been adopted in the study of skeletal biology. In addition, the field of physical anthropology has maintained the “four field” approach to study that has been present in anthropology since its earliest days, and that combines biological anthropology with archaeology, cultural anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. Recently, an increasing interest in the forensic applications of physical anthropology has been causing a shift away from Washburn’s “new physical anthropology” back to the traditional physical anthropology that existed before his innovations. In the midst of these contradictions, conflicts, reconsiderations, and arguments, the AAPA and biological anthropologists are currently grappling with new research themes and new activities that can contribute greatly to contemporary society in the 21st century.
