Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
106 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Anthropology
|
-study of humankind
-subdisciplines: archaeology, physical/biological, cultural, linguistics |
|
Archaeology
|
-subdiscipline of anthropology
-study of humans through material culture -study of human past |
|
diachronic vs. synchronic
|
-synchronic = studying a phenomenon at a single point in time
-diachronic = studying how phenomena develop through time |
|
material culture
|
-consequences of human behavior
-past behaviors no longer exist, but material culture still remains |
|
Culture
|
-unifying concept in Anthro
-Tyler: "culture is the complex whole which encompasses knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, language, and any other habits or capabilities that a person acquires as a member of society." |
|
Jackson Ambani
|
-"juju man" (witch doctor) who was casting spells to influence the outcome of soccer games
-initial reaction is disbelief, but anthro tells us that all cultures have superstition |
|
Prehistoric Archaeology
|
-study of human past before writing
-prehistory occupies 99% of human history |
|
Subdisciplines of Archaeology
|
-prehistoric
-classical -historical -underwater |
|
Classical Archaeology
|
-studying a combination of written records, art, and architecture
-often focuses on Greece, Rome, and Egypt |
|
Historical Archeaology
|
-studying discovered evidence and written records
-often focuses on more recent history |
|
Goals of Archaeology
|
-culture history=chronology of the past
-reconstruct past human lifeways -understand why societies change |
|
Importance of Archaeology
|
-How did we come to be here?
-What is our role? How should we live? -Help respond to present challenges -Provides a sense of individual or cultural identity |
|
Foundations of Archaeology
|
1. Understanding the antiquity of the earth/humankind
2. Darwin's Theory of Evolution 3. Thomson's 3-Age System |
|
Creationist stories
|
-common in all cultures
-used to help explain aspects of culture/life/social roles -deeply influence the study of the past and the way we ask questions about the physical world |
|
Understanding the Age of the Earth
|
-people long believed the earth to be 6,000 yrs old(Biblically based)
-skews the way people think about the world/history -Archbishop James Ussher |
|
Archbishop James Ussher
|
-17th century (1600s)
-claimed world was created in 4004 BC -6,000 yr old estimate leaves no concept of far past, pre-writing, or pre-iron |
|
William Dugdale & Michael Mercati
|
-WD (17th c.) & MM (1518)
-recognized stone tools for what they were --> tools from pre-iron period of history |
|
Archaeology during Enlightenment
|
-17th/18th c.
-increased exploration led to new discoveries which challenged the 6,000 yr. old hypothesis |
|
Catastrophism
|
-idea that earth has been shaped by a series of short, violent events that define history
|
|
James Hutton & Charles Lyell
|
-18th c.
-hypothesized that the current features of the earth were created by the same processes throughout history, and which still occur in the present -natural, slowly working, uniform processes -key element is that these took lots of time |
|
Unformitarianism
|
-theory devised by Hutton/Lyell
-"same natural laws and processes that operate in the universe now, have always operated in the universe in the past and apply everywhere in the universe" -the present is key to the past -key principle in geology -basis for modern archaeology |
|
John Frere
|
-1797
-found evidence buried at same depth as extinct animals -growing concept that lower layers of soil represent older time periods |
|
Jacques Boucher de Perthes
|
-1841
-conducts similar work to Frere, but publishes his work |
|
Darwin's Theory of Evolution
|
-Evolution=best explanation for all change in plants/animals
-Natural selection=mechanism by which evolution occurs -Emphasized change occurring over a long period of time |
|
Thomson's 3-Age System
|
-antiquarians play a role
-Age of Stone, Age of Bronze, Age of Iron -began to organize artifacts according to this system |
|
antiquarians
|
-people who began collecting interesting objects
-organized "cabinets of curiosity" -began to wonder how to classify/group certain objects |
|
Jens Jacob Worsaae
|
-assistant to Thomson
-provides evidence for the 3-Age system by digging in burial sites -he found artifacts in corresponding layers with stone lowest, then bronze, then iron |
|
Thomas Jefferson
|
-1784
-excavated mounds in VA -wanted to show artifacts as result of indigenous peoples (vs. mystical explanation) -his approach and goal of "proof" changed archaeology |
|
Modern Archaeology
|
-roots in main concepts about the earth/antiquity
-"professionalizing" of arch -major figures: -General Lane Fox Pitt-Rivers -Sir William Finders-Petrie -Alfred Kidder |
|
Radiocarbon dating
|
-Willard Libby (1949)
-changed arch through the new ability to give absolute dates to objects |
|
William Rathje
|
-professor at U of A
-"garbology project" |
|
Why study the past?
|
-the past is very much like the present
-studying the past can help understand the present and vice-versa |
|
artifact
|
-objects that owe their form to humans
-objects created or modified by humans |
|
ecofact
|
-objects that have cultural significance, but don't owe form to human behavior
|
|
feature
|
-non-portable artifact
-e.g. kiln, building, hearth, burial, storage pits |
|
primary context
|
-original deposition of an artifact
-artifact undisturbed by later activity -e.g. Ceren, El Salvador |
|
in situ
|
-"in place", undisturbed
-quality of primary context finds |
|
secondary context
|
-artifact that has been disturbed from original position by cultural/natural forces
-e.g. Copan, Honduras |
|
site
|
-spacial structure/collection of artifacts, ecofacts, and features
-location where human activity took place |
|
categorization of sites
|
-geographic: "open";"rock shelter"
-fxn: burial, killing, rock quarry -cultural affiliation: hunter-gath -chronological affiliation: prehistoric, stone age |
|
aspects of "professional archaeology"
|
-recovery of objects
-sequence dating -training schools |
|
Ceren, El Salvador
|
-Mayan, 0-900 AD
-volcanic eruption perfectly preserved a community -helped learn about "common people" -info: cooking, food, living |
|
Copan, Honduras
|
-Mayan, 0-900 AD
-remains of many above-ground mayan structures -study of farming populations -study modern maya to help better understand past structures -"extended family household" |
|
Teatihuacan, Mexico
|
-Aztec, 150 BC - 750 AD
-pyramids; complex urban structure -determined family compound structures from burials within dwellings |
|
lineage
|
-group of related males or females who usually own land together & perhaps share a unique religious identity
|
|
stratigraphy
|
-study of the layers of the earth's sediments
-helps reconstruct past activity -cultural & natural layering -site formation, chronology, local/enviro processes |
|
Law of Superposition
|
-layers closer to the surface are the most recent
-layers farther from the surface represent progressively older periods -refers to the sequence of sediment layers, not the materials within the layers |
|
Main stages of Archaeological Research
|
1. Research Design
2. Reconnaissance study 3. Obtain Funding 4. Conduct Research -Implement research design -Data aquisition -Analysis -Interpretation -Publication |
|
Archaeological Research Design
|
-formulate research question
-devise hypothesis & methods -key element of research project |
|
Archaeological Reconnaissance Study
|
-prelim study to determine if research in site area is possible
-permissions, safety, deposits, preservation -determines site boundary |
|
Strategies for site discovery
|
-ask: who? what? where?
-ask local people -foot survey -accidental discovery -construction -surface detection -remote sensing |
|
foot survey
|
-team members walk in straight lines looking for signs of arch site
|
|
surface detection methods
|
-augers, covers(hollow tube), shovel
-test pits: sift through shovelfuls of soil |
|
remote sensing methods
|
-detect subsurface anomalies
-recessivity detector: electricity conduction underground reveals high resistance areas |
|
horizontal excavation
|
-investigates wider area of objects near the surface
-more feasible with less time, $, or people -reveals more about contemporary activities |
|
vertical excavation
|
-digging downward
-reveals info about changes through time |
|
provenience
|
-3D location of an artifacto or feature i.e. horizontal & vertical dimensions
|
|
Zooarchaeology
|
-study of animal remains at archaeological sites
-important b/c humans and animals have intertwined lives -animals=proxies |
|
Zooarchaeological contributions
|
-proxies=inferences about human life from animal remains
-provides clues: -environment -attitudes about natural world -subsistence/domestication -migration and trade -paleodiet |
|
Zooarchaeological research
|
1. Gather data
2. Identification 3. Analysis |
|
Zooarchaeological data aquisition
|
-obtain remains via excavation, screening, flotation
-not all remains will be well-preserved or necc. cultural |
|
Identification of animal remains
|
-sort material by taxon or element
-based on characteristic markers: -shape, size, bone landmarks |
|
landmarks (bones)
|
-small features that distinguish bones; mainly between species
|
|
Quantification of animal bones
|
-MNI (min. # of individuals)
-NISP (# of identified specimen) |
|
MNI
|
-min # of individuals
-indicates the # of individuals necessary to result in the number of elements discovered -based on the number of elements found |
|
NISP
|
-# of ID specimen
-each bone = specimen - ___ # of specimens of ____(animal) |
|
Zooarchaeological analysis
|
-age
-sex -modification |
|
(animal) bone age analysis
|
-tooth wear
-epiphyseal fusion |
|
epiphyseal fusion
|
-helps to show age or pre vs. post adulthood
-epiphysis="cap" @ the end of a developing bone -the extent to which bones are fused can indicate age |
|
sex determination of animal bones
|
-sexual dimorphisms: body size, canine size, antlers/horns
-muscle attachments |
|
modification of animal bones
|
-any natural or cultural changes to bones
-e.g. burning, cutting (v-cut) vs. rodent gnawing (w-cut), weathering |
|
Artifact-shaping processes
|
-behavioral processes
-transformational processes -artifacts, features, sites vary widely in content, age, etc. -must understand complex relationship btwn human & natural forces |
|
behavioral processes
|
-go into creating archaeological record
-manufacture, acquisition, use, disposal |
|
transformational processes
|
-occur after deposition
-cultural: human behavior influencing arch record, e.g. trampling, curation, plowing, burials, development, wars, looting -natural processes |
|
matrix
|
-physical medium supporting/holding record
-e.g. soil, sediment, rocks |
|
association
|
-artifacts in relation to one another
-which artifacts near one another -relationship btwn 2+ archeaological remains in the same matrix |
|
context
|
-understanding all discovered elements together
-how artifacts may have gotten there and why? |
|
lithics
|
-stone tools
-Lower Paleolithic=300k-2.5mya -Middle " " = 40k-100kya -Upper " " = 12k-40kya -Neolithic = 10kya |
|
core
|
-in lithics, piece of rock from which flakes come off
-flake scars |
|
flake
|
-piece of rock created by hitting another rock at specific angle
-bulb of percussion, ripples, retouching |
|
concoidal fracture
|
-controlled conical break of rock
-works when using appropriate material: hard, homogenous, fine-grained |
|
blade
|
-fragment whose length is 2x width
|
|
tool
|
-blade/flake/core that people use to perform some fxn
|
|
Sir John Lubbock
|
-published on the idea of prehistoric times
-coined the terms paleolithic vs. neolithic |
|
earliest lithics
|
-believed ~2.4myo
-Mary Leaky discovered old stone "choppers" in oduvi gorge -"olduwan choppers" = simple tool, few flakes removed, hard hammer percussion |
|
chaine operatoire approach
|
-tracing the life history of a tool
-Acquisition (obtaining) --> Manufacture --> Use --> Discard -artifacts may be reused |
|
Paleoethnobotany
|
-study of how people used plants in the past
|
|
debitage
|
-waste material produced during lithic production/chipped stone tools
|
|
Sir William Finders-Petrie
|
-systematic archaeology
-collection/preservation of all objects |
|
Head-Smashed-In
|
-6kya
-Alberta, Canada -collection of buffalo bones resulting herding buffalo off a cliff -preferential part removal |
|
Paleoethnobotany insights
|
-subsistence/diet
-enviro reconstruction -social/econ imbalance -plant domestication -trade -medicinal remedies -worldview/rituals |
|
Oduvi gorge
|
-Tanzania
-very old site -earliest lithics |
|
Paleoethnobotany research
|
-organic matter=preservation challenge
-macro vs. microbotanicals -Paleofeces/Human gut remains |
|
phyloliths
|
-crystal bodies produced in some plant tissues
-inorganic --> preserve well |
|
starch grain analysis
|
-informs about fxn of stone tools
-tubers don't preserve, but grains can be analyzed |
|
stable isotope analysis
|
-test for presence of certain isotopes, indicate certain types of plants based on prevalence
|
|
Paleoethnobotany methods
|
-excavation/collection
-dry screening -flotation -ID w/reference collection or experimental charring |
|
Paleoethnobotany data interpret
|
-identification
-quantification: ubiquity, %frequency, density, compar ratio, diversity |
|
Kansyore
|
-tribe in western kenya (Dean Dale)
-large, open site in Siror -hunter-gatherer -study/classify variation in Kansyore pottery -classification |
|
Siror Excavation
|
-Dean Dale; Kansyore
-began small scale: 1mx1m grid -5 cm levels of vertical -record: sediments/colors/artifacts |
|
Gen. Fox Pitt-Rivers
|
-helped standardize/professionalize archaeology through development of standard methods
|
|
Bioarchaeology
|
-contextual analysis of human remains
-helps reconstruct prehistoric lifeways |
|
Human Osteology
|
-206 bones/teeth
-variation -sexual dimorphisms -use to determine sex, age, activity/events, diet, geo affinity -quantification: 2D & 3D & GIS |
|
Significant markers on human remains
|
-sexual dimorphisms
-long bone robusticity -violence or pathology (e.g. arthritis) -dental wear/caries -stable isotopes/ancient DNA |
|
NAGPRA
|
-1990
-Nat. Am. Graves Protection & Repatriation Act |
|
Woodchipper murder
|
-Helle Crafts by husband
-only small frag of bone, hair, teeth, tissue found with wood chips -able to ID as adult, human Euro female w/blond hair -crown and tooth help confirm Helle |