Anthropology & Archaeology

Anthropology & Archaeology

Anthropology is an area that has origins in the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. The fundamental purpose of it is to study humanity and use comparative analytical measures to understand differences in things like culture and religion. Anthropologist Eric Wolf reflected the wide and diverse scope of his profession by describing it as being the most scientific of the humanities and the most humanistic of the sciences.

Ancient and medieval writers were the founders of anthropology; this is reflected in surviving studies that they conducted based on the customs of different people; from this early stage the discipline placed great importance on long term, experiential immersion in research; also known as participant observation. These writers would observe and take note of the various traditions and norms of different stratus of society.

Modern anthropology grew from the Age of Enlightenment and reached new heights of popularity due to the widespread attempts to study human behaviour. It studies humankind in all of its aspects, placing great emphasis on comparative studies; from the caveman to a modern man. This is in order to interpret the convictions of other cultures and to recognise that all of our modern truths are relative; others have been discovered in the past and valuable creations were made. By this acknowledgment scholars are better equipped to understand cultural, ethnic, sexual and racial differences; an ability that is much sought after in today’s world economy.

Examining and evaluating the ways of the past and those of other cultures can not only open our eyes to the world but it can teach us a great deal about where we have come from and why things are the way they are. An anthropology course will not fail to be stimulating and interesting; the only danger is you may bore your family to tears with all of your musings and observations; but there’s a price for everything...

Archaeology is regarded as being part of anthropology although it is undoubtedly an important discipline in itself. Like anthropology it studies past human life and culture yet it does so by analysing the materials left behind from those times; materials would include archaeological sites as well as artefacts such as tools and pottery. The underlying principle is to investigate how people used to live and how the landscape, vegetation and climate affected them or were affected by them.

The importance of archaeology is perhaps best evident in considering the shortcomings of written accounts as a method of recording history. Writing as it’s now known today didn’t exist until the 4th millennium BC; therefore many periods of history are left undocumented. Even in literate societies much of the available archives were provided by the higher classes; therefore they are incomplete and often biased accounts of events and cannot solely be trusted as a source of information. Archaeological findings bridge this gap in knowledge and help to piece together the mysteries of the past.

Archaeological remains have value for a variety of reasons; as well as having political and cultural significance they also hold considerable monetary worth and a strong aesthetic purpose for collectors and historians alike.

Many anthropologists and archaeologists are employed by museums and universities. As well as providing you with interesting and rewarding employment prospects a course in either of these will also endow you with plenty of facts and anecdotes that would force Indiana Jones lift his hat to you…

Search for part time anthropology and archaeology courses.