Can you, in layman's terms, explain Anthropology?

Question

Honestly, liked the enthusiasm and brainstorming, of the participants.

Answer 1

??? What enthusiasm and brainstorming of what participants?

What is it you need explained? What Anthropology is?

There are two basic sub-fields: Physical Anthropology, and Cultural Anthropology. The physical is about development of humans; the cultural is about, well, culture.

So the folks who found "Lucy" were physical anthropologists. The folks who live with and study various groups of people, to see how they live and what they think and what their traditions, ritual,s and other cultural practices are, are cultural anthropologists.

If this isn't what you're asking, maybe you could try again, using the Details field to explain your question.

Answer 2

Anthropology essentially covers all of the studies of humans, including their genetic make-up, language, customs, and any cultural material that they leave behind past and present. There's also paleo-anthropology that focuses more on our common ancestors (also bi-peds) that lived  long ago and have since died out.

Answer 3

I can try. Anthropology is the study of man (anthropos / ology) and gets broken into four parts:

Linguistics -the study of language -past and present

Biological Anthropology -Forensic Anthropology being in this group (think CSI- blood, crime scene investigators)

Cultural Anthropology- studying cultures of the world (including our own)- exotic ones come up like Africa, Papau New Guinea, but even glamorous fields like New York culture are studied by Anthropologists.

-Archaeology -the most noted of the fields, bones and curators in museums all over!

Really diverse field, and it covers just about everything requiring scientific thought, history, and theories.

Answer 4

It can be called the study of...us!, as far back as we can take it.

Answer 5

It's the study of the history of human origins, and all that implies!

Answer 6

I will give it a try myself.

In extreme layman`s terms it is a contraction for  " Aunt`s throw apology". This was the subject of an email that was sent after a little girl`s aunt threw a softball through the neighbor`s stained glass window.

As for the brainstorming and enthusiasm that`s just part of my make up. You are welcome, I am glad you liked it.