Anthropological archeology focuses on studying the past societies, specifically the political, social, and cultural aspects that governed a society. It reveals how the ancient communities conducted their leadership affairs through politics disclosing the positions held by the elites. Additionally, it indicates the social classes that existed in the past. In every community, people are usually organized into societal classes such as the wealthy and the poor. However, it is only possible to understand these phenomena through anthropological archeology, which unearths these societal class differences. For instance, The Egyptian Pharaoh Tut-ankh-Amun was buried to show that royalties were given a proper sendoff (Macaulay, 1979). Besides, it focuses on revealing the cultural practices that ancient communities were engaged in. Although such practices are transferred from one generation to another, they change over time as the interaction between tribes continues to thrive. Therefore, the aim of anthropological archeology is to unveil the initial cultural practices of a community.
It is necessary to explain people who think that anthropological archeology focuses only on studying dinosaurs, ancient kings, and treasures, that these aspects are of paramount importance since they link the present and upcoming events. It is only through understanding the past events that we can be able to predict the future. Besides, it helps the present generation appreciate the societies and animals that existed in the past. For instance, it is impossible to touch and the dinosaurs that went extinct several centuries ago. However, by studying and analyzing their life, we understand their habitat and the way they interacted with the natural environment. The study also helps people preserve the animals that may go extinct due to either natural or human activities.
Reference
Macaulay, D. (1979). Motel of the Mysteries. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
