Anthropology

Anthropology is a subject that studies humankind. It is the science of man as he exists or has existed under different physical and social conditions.

It is the study of the past societies. It deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind.

Its unique contribution to studying the bonds of human social relations has been the distinctive concept of culture. It has also differed from other sciences concerned with human social behavior (especially sociology) in its emphasis on data from non-literate peoples and archaeological exploration.

Anthropology had been associated from the beginning with various other emergent sciences, especially biology, geology, linguistics, psychology, and archaeology. However it emerged as a separate branch of study in the mid-nineteenth century.

There are two kinds of anthropology - Social or cultural anthropology and physical antrhropology. Social or cultural anthropology is a comparative study of human societies and cultures in all their stages of development. Physical anthropology is the scientific study of human zoology, evolution, and ecology.