anthropology

Introduction & Top Questions
Overview
History of anthropology
- Fieldwork
- Social and cultural anthropology
- American anthropology since the 1950s
- European anthropology since the 1950s
The major branches of anthropology
- Cultural anthropology
  - American cultural anthropology
  - French theoretical contributions
  - The configurational approach
  - Cultural change and adaptation
  - Culture and the humanities
- Social anthropology
- Linguistic anthropology
- Psychological anthropology
- Archaeology
- Physical anthropology
  - Paleoanthropology
  - Primatology
  - Genetics
  - Human ecology
  - Bioarchaeology
  - Growth and development
  - Anthropometry
  - Forensics
World anthropology
- Anthropology in Africa
- Anthropology in Asia
- Anthropology in Europe
- Anthropology in Latin America
Special fields of anthropology
- The anthropological study of religion
- Museum-based study
- The anthropological study of education
- The study of ethnicity, minority groups, and identity
- Urban anthropology
- National and transnational studies
- The study of gender
- Political and legal anthropology
- Medical anthropology
- The anthropology of food, nutrition, and agriculture
- Environmental and ecological studies in anthropology
- Development anthropology
- Applied anthropology
- Visual anthropology
- Ethnomusicology

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

How humans search for the meaning of life

Margaret Mead conducting fieldwork in Bali

The video thumbnail image shows a white woman walking by a wall that says "You are on Native land."

Lewis Henry Morgan

Pierre Bourdieu

Edward Burnett Tylor

The father of American anthropology

At a Glance

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anthropology summary

anthropology

Written by

Charles Miller LeslieAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

May 19, 2026 •History

anthropology, “the science of humanity,” which studies human beings in aspects ranging from the biology and evolutionary history of Homo sapiens to the features of society and culture that decisively distinguish humans from other animal species. Because of the diverse subject matter it encompasses, anthropology has become, especially since the middle of the 20th century, a collection of more specialized fields. Physical anthropology is the branch that concentrates on the biology and evolution of humanity....

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