Anthropogeology is the study of anthropology and geology combined. This study attempts to do the obvious, which is to answer some basic and fundamental questions where these two disciplines overlap. Some common questions are: What specific types of rocks were used for stone tools? What types of stone provided what types of stone tools? What specific locations provided the types of rocks required? What is the list of stones used for construction? In what other ways did humans live in relation to their geological environments? How do some geological and geographical environments influence human actions, tool making, and skills? What are the natural needs of humans and how have they adapted to specific rock formations of geological features on Earth?

Some obvious examples of the relation of anthropology and geology is the use of certain minerals and rocks for stone tools, spear points, and arrow heads. Other examples are the human use of waterways for boat travel, or the use of desert agriculture that needs water storage and irrigation technology. Humans for thousands of years have developed different boats depending on their need to travel over different types of water bodies. Canoes are a good example of the Ojibway need to travel and hunt along the fresh water rivers of North America. Humans have also been limited in their ability to travel, or to overcome political borders, because of rugged mountain chains that divide up continents. Petroforms and Petroglyphs are also good examples of the use of geological features by prehistoric native peoples.

References

Wilson, Lucy 2003 "Importance de la difficulté du terrain par rapport à la distance de transport dans les stratégies de circulation des matières premières lithiques dans le Vaucluse, au Paléolithique moyen" in Préhistoire du Sud-Ouest Supplément No. 5: Les Matières Premières Lithiques en Préhistoire - Table Ronde Internationale organisée à Aurillac (Cantal), du 20 au 22 juin 2002; pp. 343-349.

Wilson, Lucy 1986 "Hominid Lithic Raw Material Procurement Behaviour at the Caune de l'Arago, France" Symposium on Social and Economic Contexts of Technological Change, World Archaeology Congress; Southampton, England

Texier, P.-J., J.-P. Brugal, C. Lemorini and Lucy Wilson 1998 "Fonction d'un site du Paléolithique moyen en marge d'un territoire: l'abri de La Combette (Bonnieux, Vaucluse)" Economie préhistorique: les comportements de subsistance au Paléolithique, XVIIIè Rencontres Internationales d'Archéologie et d'Histoire d'Antibes, Editions APDCA, Sophia Antipolis, France; pp. 325-348.

Black, David W. and Lucy Wilson 1998 "History and Geology of the Washademoak Lake Chert Source, Queen's County, New Brunswick", invited paper, presented at the Geological Society of America, 33rd Annual Meeting, Northeastern Section; Theme Session: Archaeological Stone Artifacts: Contributions to Sources, Petrology and Distribution; GSA Abstracts with Programs, vol. 30, no. 1, February 1998.

History of this Study

Plato is one of the first natural philosophers to write about and document how humans have basic and fundamental needs for water, soil for agriculture, including trees and forests for fire and shelter. Certain minerals and metals from the Earth are needed to produce weapons for defence and hunting.

Other notable philosophers have also studied and documented the natural and essential relation of human beings to the geological features that surround them. Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Machievelli, and Rousseau are some examples.

Links

http://www.clarion.edu/departments/ages/

http://www.indstate.edu/gga/

http://www.unb.ca/fredericton/science/geology/law/law.htm

http://www.gly.uga.edu/gasfp/