Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of human beings and their cultures, from prehistoric times to today.
The people who practice anthropology are called anthropologists.
Anthropology has two main divisions: physical and cultural.
- Physical anthropologists study the physical features of humans.
- Cultural anthropologists examine human cultures.
- Both kinds of anthropology may include the study of prehistoric, ancient, and modern humans.

Physical Anthropology

Physical anthropology is related to biology.
Physical anthropologists examine differences in human physical features.
They often study human genes.
These are the things that pass along traits from parents to their children.
Some physical anthropologists compare the physical features of people from different geographic areas.
Others may examine what makes humans physically different from other animals, such as apes. Some
physical anthropologist studies the remains of prehistoric humans to learn about human origins.
They try to determine how and when modern humans developed from early forms of humans and from nonhuman ancestors.
In other words, they study human evolution.

Cultural anthropology is a social science or a field of study concerned with human societies.
Cultural anthropologists study many aspects of human cultures, in different places and times.
These may include art, language, religion, clothing, customs, and social structure.
They also compare the practices of various societies.
Archaeology is one type of cultural anthropology.
In the 1800s and early 1900s, most cultural anthropologists were from western Europe or the United States.
They usually travelled to another part of the world, such as Africa or Asia, to study different cultures.
Today cultural anthropologists from all around the world study a wide variety of human groups.
For instance, they may study small fishing villages, gangs in big cities, religious groups, or large companies.