Anthropology as a tool to explore the biological evolution of Humans

Anthropology is a branch of knowledge that explores the biological evolution of humans and their culture. Anthropologists help in analysing the changes in the biological, and physical features and forms of various types of hominids i.e. any member of the group consisting of all modern and extinct humans and great apes including gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans and all their immediate ancestors, through millions of years. The cultural patterns, food habits, behavioural patterns and communication methods of early men are the other areas where anthropology helps us in understanding prehistory.

Archaeology as the study of the ancient and recent human past through material remains is in fact a subfield of anthropology which is the study of all human culture. Therefore, when an archaeologist excavates a cemetery for instance, he or she is advised to collaborate with an anthropologist who can provide information of a demographic nature – the age, sex and stature of the dead. Like archaeology, anthropology involves several research steps:

 

1)      The first step of anthropological research is to determine whether a discovered artefact is a bone or not.

2)      Next comes the dating. Anthropologists can often determine the approximate date of a skeleton by the context of deposition.

3)      An analysis of the location, position, and condition of the body which gives clues to probable events that would have led to the burial.

4)      In the next step, anthropologists attempt at developing a biological profile: age, sex, stature and ancestry through the recovered bone. By examining the size, shape, and structure of a bone, an anthropologist determines if the bone is of a human or an animal.9 At times, this also helps to indicate the cause of the death.

5)      Further interpretation, such as what a bone seems to indicate, its importance and associated features are detailed in report writing. It might be added that the study of cremated bones can yield information similar to that obtained from studies of uncremated ones.

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