Читать книгу Anthropology For Dummies - Cameron M. Smith - Страница 18

Anthropology’s methods range from lab analysis of DNA to taking notes on Sicilian (or any culture’s) body language. Each of these methods helps better understand the many ways of being human. The following list gives you an overview of some of these methods:

 Evolution is the foundation of modern biology, and physical anthropologists — who study humanity from a biological perspective — rely on it. Check out Chapter 3 for the lowdown on exactly what evolution is and isn’t and how it helps anthropologists study humanity.

 Archaeology isn’t just Indiana Jones dodging bad guys and saving priceless treasures. Chapter 5 covers the methods of archaeologists, from keeping track of where objects are found to dating them by the carbon-14 method.

 Do cultural anthropologists really get grants to go to other countries and observe human behavior? Yes, but there’s a lot more to it than that! Chapter 12 covers the methods of cultural anthropology, from observation to immersion in a subject culture.

 The complexity of human language is one of the main characteristics distinguishing us from non-human animals. Chapter 13 shows you how anthropologists think about and study language.