UPSC Anthropology Optional - Paper I - Syllabus

Sep 22, 2026

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UPSC Anthropology Optional Paper I syllabus covers core foundations of anthropology, including its meaning, scope, development, and links with social, behavioural, life, medical, earth sciences, and humanities. It addresses major branches and human evolution, from organic evolution theories to primate evolution, taxonomy, behaviour, and comparative anatomy. The syllabus further includes prehistoric archaeology, the biological basis of life, cultural and social organization, marriage, family, kinship, economic and political systems, religion, major anthropological theories, and research methods like fieldwork, data collection tools, and analysis.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Paper I

Meaning, Scope and Development of Anthropology

Human Evolution and Emergence of Man

Biological Basis of Life and Prehistoric Archaeology

Culture, Society, Marriage and Family

Kinship, Economic and Political Organization

Religion and Anthropological Theories

Culture, Language and Communication

Research Methods in Anthropology

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ANTHROPOLOGY OPTIONAL
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| PAPER- I 􀀇 Meaning, Scope and development of Anthropology. 􀀇 Relationships with other disciplines : Social Sciences, behavioural Sciences, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, Earth Sciences and Humanities. 􀀇 Main branches of Anthropology, their scope and relevance: " Social-cultural Anthropology. " Biological Anthropology. " Archaeological Anthropology. " Linguistic Anthropology. 􀀇 Human Evolution and emergence of Man:" Biological and Cultural factors in human evolution. " Theories of Organic Evolution (Pre-Darwinian, Darwinian and Post-Darwinian) . " Synthetic theory of evolution; Brief outline of terms and concepts of evolutionary biology (Doll’s rule, Cope’s rule, Gause’s rule, parallelism, convergence, adaptive radiation, and mosaic evolution) . 􀀇 Characteristics of Primates; Evolutionary Trend and Primate Taxonomy; Primate Adaptations; (Arboreal and Terrestrial) Primate Taxonomy; Primate Behaviour; Tertiary and Quaternary fossil primates; Living Major Primates; Comparative Anatomy of Man and Apes; Skeletal changes due to erect posture and its implications. 􀀇 Phylogenetic status, characteristics and geographical distribution of the following : " Plio-preleistocene hominids in South and East Africa—Australopithecines. " Homo erectus : Africa (Paranthropus), Europe (Homo erectus (heidelbergensis), Asia (Homo erectus javanicus, Homo erectus pekinensis. " Neanderthal man—La-chapelle-aux-saints (Classical type), Mt. Carmel (Progressive type) . " Rhodesian man. " Homo saoiens—Cromagnon, Grimaldi and Chancelede. 􀀇 The biological basis of Life : The Cell, DNA structure and replication, Protein Synthesis, Gene, Mutation, Chromosomes, and Cell Division. " Principles of Prehistoric Archaeology. Chronology : Relative and Absolute Dating methods. " Cultural Evolution—Broad Outlines of Prehistoric cultures : 􀀉 Paleolithic 􀀉 Mesolithic 􀀉 Neolithic 􀀉 Chalcolithic 􀀉 Copper-Bronze Age 􀀉 Iron Age UPSC SYLLABUS [www.iasscore.in](www.iasscore.in) 􀀇 The Nature of Culture : The concept and Characteristics of culture and civilization; Ethnocentrism visa-vis cultural Relativism. 􀀇 The Nature of Society : Concept of Society; Society and Culture; Social Institution; Social groups; and Social stratiﬁcation. 􀀇 Marriage : Deﬁnition and universality; Laws of marriage (endogamy, exogamy, hypergamy, hypogamy, incest taboo); Type of marriage (monogamy, polygamy, polyandry, group marriage) . Functions of marriage; Marriage regulations (preferential, prescriptive and proscriptive); Marriage payments (bride wealth and dowry) . 􀀇 Family : Deﬁnition and universality; Family, household and domestic groups; functions of family; Types of family (from the perspectives of structure, blood relation, marriage, residence and succession); Impact of urbanization, industrialization and feminist movements on family. 􀀇 Kinship : Consanguinity and Aﬃnity; Principles and types of descent (Unilineal, Double, Bilateral Ambilineal); Forms of descent groups (lineage, clan, phratry, moiety and kindred); Kinship terminology (descriptive and classiﬁcatory); Descent, Filiation and Complimentary Filiation;Decent and Alliance. 􀀇 Economic Organization : Meaning, scope and relevance of economic anthropology; Formalist and Substantivist debate; Principles governing production, distribution and exchange (reciprocity, redistribution and market), in communities, subsisting on hunting and gathering, ﬁshing, swiddening, pastoralism, horticulture, and agriculture; globalization and indigenous economic systems. 􀀇 Political Organization and Social Control : Band, tribe, chiefdom, kingdom and state; concepts of power, authority and legitimacy; social control, law and justice in simple Societies. 􀀇 Religion : Anthropological approaches to the study of religion (evolutionary, psychological and functional); monotheism and polytheism; sacred and profane; myths and rituals; forms of reli

FAQs

What topics are covered under the meaning and scope of Anthropology in Paper I?

Paper I covers the meaning, scope, and development of anthropology, its relationships with other disciplines, and the main branches of anthropology with their scope and relevance.

How does the syllabus approach human evolution and primate evolution?

It includes biological and cultural factors in human evolution, theories of organic evolution, synthetic theory, primate characteristics, taxonomy, adaptations, behaviour, fossil primates, and comparative anatomy of humans and apes.

Which research methods in Anthropology are listed for Paper I?

The syllabus includes fieldwork tradition, distinctions among technique/method/methodology, tools of data collection such as observation and interviews, and guidance on analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data.

Sep 22, 2026

Uploaded by Marry