Final answer:
The field of cultural anthropology that involves excavating ancient settlements along river shorelines is archaeology, focused on uncovering artifacts to understand past human societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Field of Cultural Anthropology for Excavation
The branch of cultural anthropology that would most likely conduct excavations along the shoreline of a river to search for an ancient settlement is archaeology. Archaeologists systematically uncover artifacts and other remains to understand past human societies. During such excavations, they apply archaeological methods such as surveys, collecting GPS coordinates of artifacts, and a detailed examination of the site's features to build a comprehensive picture of past cultures.
Archaeological excavation is a scientific process that helps reveal artifacts related to the historic and prehistoric past. When cultural anthropologists embark on fieldwork, they may integrate the hands-on experiences of living within a society with the technical aspects of excavations to conclude the lifeways of ancient peoples. This was exemplified by researchers like Tom Dillehay, who spent years excavating sites in Peru, uncovering sociocultural evolution over thousands of years.
Aspects of cultural anthropology such as ethnology, emic perspectives, and the integration of material culture with living practices are crucial for gaining insights into how ancient societies interacted with their environments and developed complex socio-cultural systems.