Final answer:
An archaeologist is an anthropologist specializing in the study of the material remains of past human societies, with the goal of understanding their technology, social practices, and ideas.
Step-by-step explanation:
An anthropologist who studies the material remains of human societies is known as an archaeologist. Archaeologists specialize in the field of anthropology that focuses on the excavation and analysis of artifacts, architecture, biofacts, and cultural landscapes. This aspect of anthropology relies on material culture to understand the technologies, social practices, ideas of ancient peoples, and the evolutionary history of humans in relation to their environment and sociocultural development.
The field of anthropology overall is broadly concerned with humanity across time and space, comprising four main subfields: biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology. An anthropologist working in the archaeological subfield utilizes physical artifacts as keys to interpreting human life in the past which contribute immensely to the documentation of human history, enabling current and future generations to understand and appreciate the diversity and ingenuity of past human societies.
Within this field, anthropologists may work in various settings, including universities, research institutions, and public policy, amongst others. Their work produces invaluable documentation that preserves and shares human stories and material culture, thus contributing to a broader understanding of the human experience.