Community-wide Genealogy and Anthropology

Have you ever taken a community-wide approach to your genealogy? That’s what Helen Shaw recommends to help you in your search. Helen, a professional genealogist with degrees in anthropology, routinely uses her anthropology research skills in her genealogy work.

This approach entails looking at your ancestor’s neighbors and community as a whole to figure out the puzzles in your research. It can help you figure out who a wife is, where they went to church or to record a deed, or what documents that neighbors kept, like journals, that may have some information about your ancestors.

Click here to listen to the whole story on using anthropology research skills to help you in your genealogy research.