Cultural Anthropology studies the lifeways of communities around the world and the similarities and differences among cultures. Archaeology is the reconstruction of societies and cultures in the past, particularly before written records, from material remains. Linguistic Anthropology studies the nature, structure, and evolution of language, and the central role it plays in human life. The four fields of anthropology share the following set of characteristics, which make anthropology a distinctive field of study and perspective on humanity.
Anthropology is holistic .
It seeks to explore every facet of an issue or topic. It is, therefore, inherently interdisciplinary. Anthropology looks at humans from a global perspective, comparing cultures in order to make generalizations and develop theories that apply to all societies, in all times and places. Anthropology is biocultural . Anthropology is a natural science, a social science, and one of the humanities .