What is the difference between anthropology and archeology?

Question

What is the difference between anthropology and archeology?

Answer 1

Archaeology is a subdivision or sub field of Anthropology. (Basically, all archaeologists are anthropologists, but not all anthropologists are archaeologists). Anthropology means, literally, "the study of man." Cultural Anthropology studies living cultures, and archaeology studies past cultures that are no longer in existance. Antrhopologists live with people from other cultures, talk to them and observe them. Archaeologists can't observe or talk to people from the past, so they rely on physical artifacts that were left behind

Answer 2

anthropology

the science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind.  

the study of human beings' similarity to and divergence from other animals.  



the science of humans and their works.  

and archeology

The systematic study of past human life and culture by the recovery and examination of remaining material evidence, such as graves, buildings, tools, and pottery.

Archaeology is the study of human culture through material remains from humans in the past. In the Old World, archaeology has tended to focus on the study of physical remains, the methods used in recovering them and the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings in achieving the subject's goals. The discipline's roots in antiquarianism and the study of Latin and Ancient Greek provided it with a natural affinity with the field of history. In the United States and, increasingly, in other parts of the world, archaeology is more commonly devoted to the study of human societies and is regarded as one of the four branches of anthropology. The other three branches are cultural anthropology, which studies behavioural, symbolic, and material dimensions of culture; linguistics, which studies language, including the origins of language and language groups; and physical anthropology, which includes the study of human evolution and physical and genetic characteristics. Other disciplines also supplement archaeology, including paleontology, paleozoology, paleoethnobotany, paleobotany, geography, geology, art history, and classics. Archaeology has been described as a craft that enlists the sciences to illuminate the humanities.

"Archaeology is neither history nor anthropology. As an autonomous discipline, it consists of a method and a set of specialised techniques for the gathering, or 'production' of cultural information".

Archaeology is an approach to understanding human culture through its material remains regardless of chronology. In England, archaeologists have uncovered the long-lost layouts of medieval villages abandoned after the crises of the 14th century and the equally lost layouts of 17th century parterre gardens swept away by a change in fashion. In downtown New York City archaeologists have exhumed the 18th century remains of the African burial ground. Traditional archaeology is viewed as the study of pre-historic human cultures, that is, cultures that existed before the development of writing for that culture. Historical archaeology is the study of cultures with some form of writing.

In the study of relatively recent cultures by Western scholars, archaeology is closely allied with ethnography.

This is the case in large parts of North America, Oceania, Siberia, and other places where the study of archaeology mingles with the living traditions of the cultures being studied.

Answer 3

Anthropology is the study of humans, ancient and present. that's why anthropos---human!

archeology is the study of old artifacts used by civilizations----humans!

Answer 4

the difference is anthr and arche hahaha just joking

Anthropology is the science in which we study human origins, development, distribution, social habits, culture and language.

There are four main branches to anthropology:

1.archaeology, which focuses on past human cultures;

2.cultural anthropology, which examines living groups;

3.physical anthropology which explores humans origins, genetics and biological development; and

4.linguistics, the study of human languages.

Archeology is the scientific study of past human culture and behaviour, from the origins of humans to the present. Archaeology studies past human behavior through the examination of material remains of previous human societies. These remains include the fossils (preserved bones) of humans, food remains, the ruins of buildings, and human artifacts—items such as tools, pottery, and jewelry. From their studies, archaeologists attempt to reconstruct past ways of life. Archaeology is an important field of anthropology, which is the broad study of human culture and biology. Archaeologists concentrate their studies on past societies and changes in those societies over extremely long periods of time.

Go to the following websites for more info.

Answer 5

Archeology is a sub field of Anthropology.

The goals of archaeology are to document and explain the origins and development of human culture, understand culture history, chronicle cultural evolution, and study human behavior and ecology, for both prehistoric and historic societies. It is considered, in North America, to be one of the four sub-fields of anthropology.

Anthropology has origins in the natural sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences. Ethnography is both one its primary methods, and the text that is written as a result of the practice of anthropology.

Answer 6

There's some overlap between the two fields.

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Answer 7

Anthropology comes from the Greek words anthropos, "human being"; and  logos, "knowledge  - so it's basically the study of humans

It consists of the study :

Natural sciences (Physics, Chemistry and Biology)

Humanities or Arts

Social Sciences (like psychology and history)

Archaeology is a part of anthropology and it's the study of human culture.

To properly study this culture they often need to excavate historical grounds to find remains of past cultures and rituals and what they symbolize. Many a time uncovering the past can help us understand our lives today!

Answer 8

You have seen several great answers about what anthropology is -

Archaeology (as practiced in Americas) is a subfield of Anthropology - it examines all aspects of humanity through the material record - objects, strucutres, etc. that are left behind.  

One major misconception is that archaeology only studies the past - we (yes I am an archaeologist) are also able to study present societies by what they leave/discard.  Bill Rathje conducted a proram at the University of Arizona for over 30 years that examined modern landfills to look at our own society.

One way to understand archaeology is to look at what is called ethnoarchaeology.  A researcher will live with a modern group (Binford did this with an Eskimo group) and follow them around recording what they do, what each activity means to them, etc. (same as an anthropologist would do).  BUT the archaeologist also records what each activity leaves in the ground, how the space is utilized, and what actions might not leave anything behind.  From this information he can develop what an "archaeological signature" of a particular activity would be - or what will be left in the ground when the people are gone.  This model or signature can then be compared against archaeological sites, to help give clues on what activities might have happened there long ago.

Ethnoarchaeology is only one part of the whole field, but hopefully it will help you understand a little better.