Book excerpt: To read some sample entries, or to view the Readers Guide click on "Sample Chapters/Additional Materials" in the left column under "About This Book" "This monumental encyclopedia makes an astonishing contribution to our understanding of human evolution, human culture, and human reality through an inclusive global lens." - From the Foreword, Biruté Mary F. Galdikas, Camp Leakey, Borneo, Indonesia This five-volume Encyclopedia of Anthropology is a unique collection of over 1,000 entries that focuses on topics in physical/biological anthropology, archaeology, cultural/social anthropology, linguistics, and applied anthropology. Also included are relevant articles on geology, paleontology, biology, evolution, sociology, psychology, philosophy, and theology. The contributions are authored by 300 internationally renowned experts, professors, and scholars from some of the most distinguished universities, institutes, and museums in the world. Special attention is given to hominid evolution, primate behavior, genetics, ancient civilizations, cross-cultural studies, social theories, and the value of human language for symbolic communication. This groundbreaking Encyclopedia is a must-have reference work for libraries with collections in anthropology, as well as the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. It will provide students, educators, and a wide array of interested readers with a greater understanding of and deeper appreciation for those facts, concepts, methods, hypotheses, and perspectives that make up modern anthropology and related disciplines.