Physical anthropology and archeology

Physical Anthropology and Archaeology, authored by Clifford J. Jolly and Fred Plog, was published in 1976 as an expansive academic survey of human evolution and cultural development. Emerging during a period when the synthesis of biological anthropology and archaeological fieldwork was becoming a standard pedagogical approach, the volume was designed to provide undergraduates with a holistic view of the human experience through both fossil records and material remains.

The text reflects the rigorous interdisciplinary methodology favored by the authors, both of whom were prominent figures in their respective fields. By integrating Jolly’s expertise in primate biology and physical anthropology with Plog’s background in archaeological theory, the work sought to bridge the traditional divide between human biology and cultural history. It was distributed by Random House as part of an effort to produce comprehensive, high-quality textbooks for the burgeoning social science departments of the mid-1970s.