Towards a comprehensive history of anthropology

Abstract

In 1970, when Jean Lydall and I began fieldwork with the Hamar in southern Ethiopia, we soon learnt that some elders were interested in ‘other cultures’ rather like we ourselves. This inspired the idea of a comprehensive history of anthropology, which I present in this essay. Supported by diagrams that indicate the historical differentiation of culture and the epistemic complexity of anthropological discourse, I outline my vision of a comprehensive study of anthropological history. I place great emphasis on the enabling and constraining role of meaning schemata, as well as the persuasive power of figuration. Finally, I outline the implications for future research, including both academic anthropology and ethno-anthropology, a branch of the wider field of ethno-science.