Anthropology was traditionally the study of indigenous peoples (back in the day when they were called 'natives/savages'), their culture and society. Particular focus was on systems of kinship. So old-skool anthropologists studied indigenous peoples of papua new guinea, trobriand islands, african tribes/people such as the nuer, australian indigenous peoples etc etc.
These days it is no longer 'rich whitey heads to wilderness, hangs out with nude native tribe, finds their lack of civilisation remarkable, comes home and writes a book, gets famous' but rather a respectful, humble, culturally sensitive study of other peoples.
It is characterised by fieldwork, in which an anthropologist goes and lives with the peoples they wish to gain an understanding of, and learn by observation and interaction.
