Final answer:
Ethnology is the branch of Cultural Anthropology that studies and compares past and contemporary cultures to understand the relationships among various societies, especially indigenous ones. It helps to reveal migration patterns and cultural relations, necessary in linguistics, archaeology, and biological anthropology.
Step-by-step explanation:
An in-depth study and comparison of past and contemporary cultures in practice is a branch of Cultural Anthropology known as ethnology. Ethnology engages in cross-cultural comparison to understand how various indigenous societies are related, focusing on aspects such as language dialects, dress, appearances, and migration patterns. It investigates historical questions, such as how Native peoples arrived in the Americas, and is still a significant practice in linguistics, archaeology, and biological anthropology, providing vital insights into human cultures.
Cultural anthropology spans diverse settings and employs various research methods to explore the development of cultures, evaluate social discourse and actions, and understand unspoken norms and values. These studies aid in comprehending the roles and institutions that structure societies and contribute to an overarching understanding of the richness and diversity embodied within human cultures.