The term anthropic unit (from Greek άνθρωπος, 'human') is used with different meanings in archaeology, in measurement and in social studies.
In archaeology In archaeology, anthropic units are strata or deposits of material containing a high proportion of man-made detritus. For example:
In measurement
Following the coinage of the term "anthropic principle" by Brandon Carter in 1973–1974, units of measurement that are on a human scale are occasionally referred to as "anthropic units", as the example here:Brian William Petley (1985). The fundamental physical constants and the frontier of measurement. Bristol; Boston: A. Hilger. p. 120.
In social studies
In fields of study such as sociology and ethnography, anthropic units are identifiable groupings of people. For example: and:
References