Anth 202 Final Review

Front 1

absolute dating

Back 1

Method of dating that can provide an age in calender years, Potassium argon, radiocarbon, AMS, obsidian hydration, TL, Dendrochronology

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AMS

Back 2

Accelerator mass spectrometer: A huge scientific instrument used for sorting and counting isotopes. AMS dating allows much smaller samples to be used in archaeology

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archaeobotany

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study of archaeological plant remains

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archaeology

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the study of our human past, combining the themes of time and change, using the material remains that have survived

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archaeomagnetism

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a dating technique based on the migration of the earth's north pole, known for the last 1000 years

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archaeometry

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the measurement of the chemical or physical properties of an artiact in oerder to solve problems of chemical composition, technology, chronology, etc. Soometimes described as "instrumental" archaeology

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artifacts

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the objects and materials that people have made and used

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assemblage

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a related set of different things at different sites

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bifacial

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a term describing a flaked stone tool in which both faces or sides are retouched to make a thinner tool

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bioarchaeology

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the study of human remains from archaeological contexts

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blade

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a special kind of elongated flake with two parallel sides and a length at least twice the width of the piece. The regular manufacture of blades characterized the upper paleolithic, with an efficient way of producing mass quantities of cutting edges

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body sherd

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fragment of broken pottery that does not include the rim of the vessel

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bulb of percussion

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a partial cone of fracture that is seen on the inner surface of flakes as a slightly rounded protrusion or bulb

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calibration

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correction of radiocarbon dates for the difference between calendar years and radiocarbon years

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classification

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the process of putting objects into groups on the basis of shared characteristics

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complexity

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organization of society involving more units in society and more integration between those units

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coprolites

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preserved ancient feces
can tell a lot about diet

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core

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The stone from which other pieces or flakes are removed

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cryptocrystalline

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stone with microscopic crystals, formed from silicia under pressure in marine deposits, such as quartz, chert, flint

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culture

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a means of human adaptation based on intelligence, experience, learning, and the use of tools; the general set of behaviors and knowledge that humans use to survive and adapt

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culture change

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in archaeology, innovations or modification in technology or material culture

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curated tools

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special-purpose implements that require specific raw materials and substantial time and labor in manufacture; can often be repaired or recycled and are normally discarded only when exhuasted

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cutmarks

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scratches and cuts on bone indicating the use of stone tools for butchering

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datum

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a point with known locational coordinates and elevation; a fixed point for surveying

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debitage

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term referring to all the pieces of shatter and flakes produced and not used when stone tools are made; also called waste

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demography

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study of human populations with a focus on size, age, and sex distribution, birth and death rates, and migration

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dendrochronology

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the study of the annual growth rings of trees as a dating technique to build chronologies, house beams, useful up to 9,000, master sequence, area specific

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diachronic

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dealing with change over time, comparing two or more time periods

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diffusion

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the spread of new ideas or materials from one group to another

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ecofacts

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unmodified, natural items found in archaeological contexts, often plant or animal material

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environment

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natural and social milieu in which human societies operate

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epiphysis

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joint ends of bones where growth occurs

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ethnoarchaeology

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archaeological study of living societies for information to help better understand the past

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ethnography

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the detailed investigation of a group of people, traditionally non-Western, through participant observation and descriptions of practices, activities, behaviours, and beliefs

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excavation

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the exposure, recording, and recovery of buried materials from the past

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experimental archaeology

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modern experiments to reproduce artifacts, architecture, and/or techniques from the past

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exotic

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foreign, unusual, refers to artifacts and other materials from nonlocal sources

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faunal remains

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animal ecofacts found in archaeological contexts, including bone, teeth, antler, ivory, shell, scales, and the like

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features

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the permanent facilities and structures that people construct in or on the earth

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flake

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a type of stone artifact produced by removing a piece from a core by chipping or knapping. Flakes are made into a variety of different kinds of tools or used for their sharp edges (without further retouching)

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floral

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plants, botanical materials, in contrast to fuana, or animals

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flotation

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an archaeological technique for recovering charred plant remains using water and density differences between heavy and light materials in sediments, dry sediments are stirred into water and the lighter plant remains float to the top

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GC-MS

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gas chromatography-mass spectrometr: archaeometric technique for organic materials; samples in gas state separate in a column and exit sequentially to a detector that produces a spectrum of the weight and amount of the molecules

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GIS

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Geographic information systems: a computer program for the storage, display and analysis of geographic and spatial data; the basic concept involves the uses of overlaid maps of an area in combination with locational information and spatial analytical capabilities

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GPR

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Ground penetrating radar: an instrument that sends radar waves through the ground to reveal buried features

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GPS

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Global positioning system: a locational and navigational system for determining precise three-dimensional coordinates (longitude, latitude, elevation) of any place on the earth's surface

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half-life

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conventional rate for radioactivity based on the time period for the decay of half the unstable isotopes in a known quantity of material

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hammerstone

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a stone used to knock flakes from cores, part of the toolkit of flintknapper

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handaxe

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the characteristic artifact of the paleolithic: a large, teardrop-shaped stone tool bifacially flaked to a point at one end and a broader base at the other, for general-purpose use

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ideology

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the explanation of human, natural, and supernatural relationships through belief, ritual, and ceremony

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in situ

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an object in its original position of discard or deposition, in place, primary context

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industry

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one object or artifact type that appears in a number of assemblages

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isotopes

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slightly different atoms of the same element with the same atomic number, but a different number of neutrons - used in radiocarbon dating and potassium argon dating

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kiln

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fire for making pottery, can be open or closed, updraft or downdraft

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lineage

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genealogies, lines of descent that are used to extend relationships and determine membership in a group, the relationship between individual members in society on the basis of their family ties

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lithics

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a generic term used for stone artifacts in archaeology and more specifically for flaked stone artifacts

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magnetometer

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measures the earth's magnetic field at an archaeological site to locate buried walls and pits

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material culture

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tangible, surviving evidence of human activities

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MNI

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minimum number of individuals

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MNE

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minimum number of elements

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NAA

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neutron activation analysis: archaeometry technique using neutron bombardment to release detectable element-specific gamma rays in samples; determine trace metals in samples at ppm to id where metal is from

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obsidian

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a glassy rock produced from sand in volcanic conditions, used for making stone tools in the past

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paleobotany

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study of fossil plants

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palynology

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the study of pollen from plants for information on species, environment and climate

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percussion flaking

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a technique for producing stone artifacts by striking or knapping crystalline stone with a hard or soft hammer

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phytoliths

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genus-specific silicate bodies inside plants

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plan view

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a bird's-eye-view or top-down view of a site or region: a kind of map of the features and characteristics of a place. a standard representation of archaeological sites and areas

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pollen

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covering of the gametes of flowering plants released in sexual repreoduction

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population

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all of the people living at a place or in a region, in archaeology: refers to the people related through membership in the same group; or all of the items or units of interest in statistical sampling

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prehistory

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the time in the past before written history, often synonymous with archaeology

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pressure flaking

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a technique for producing stone artifacts by removing flakes from a stone core by pressing with a pointed implement

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primary context

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an object in its original position of discard or deposition in place

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projectile point

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generic name for the range of shapes and materiasl used to make a charp end on weapons such as spears or darts, javelins, arrows and the like

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provenience

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the place of discovery or origin, where an item is from

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radiocarbon

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a radioactive isotope of carbon used in dating organic material up to 58,000 years, needs to be callibrated because C-14 ratio in atmos changed over time, callibrate by comparing dendrochronology, lake varves, stalactites

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remote sensing

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a variety of techniques used for obtaining information about surface or buried objects: above ground include satellite imaging, radar, and map features on or near surface; below ground include radar, resistivity, magnetic properties, chemistry

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rim sherd

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fragment of broken pottery that includes part of the rim of the vessel

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rockshelter

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a shallow cave or overhang, defined by having a width greater than its depth

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sample

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a portion of a whole, to take a part of a deposit, site, feature, or artifact for analysis

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SEM: scanning electron microscope

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an electric (not optical) instrument for very high magnification of microscopic structures: uses electrons instead of light to form an image

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Seasonality

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the time of year a site was occupied, part of an annual cyce, usually related to hunter-gatherer settlement patterns

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Seriation

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an archaeological method for ordering

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shell midden

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a specialized kind of extractive site, a mound made up of large dumps of shell from mussels, oysters, or other species

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sherds

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broken pieces of pottery

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sites

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accumulations of artifacts and features, representing the places where people lived or carried out certain activities

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stratigraphy

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a sequence of layers in the ground

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survey

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a systematic reconnaissance of the landscape for artifacts and sites on the ground through aerial photography, field walking, soil analysis, or geophysical prospecting; mapping of sites and areas using surveying instruments such as a total station or GPS

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temper

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a nonplastic substance intentionally added to clay in order to reduce breakage caused by shrinkage and firing

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TL: Thermoluminescence dating

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technique for absolute dating based on the principle of the rate of accumulation of TL after heating, used with burned flint and clay, not very reliable due to variables in how much radiation is stored in pottery after being fired

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tool

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any equipment, weapon, object, intentionally modified by humans to change the environment around them

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unifacial

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a term describing a flaked stone tool in which only one face or side is retouched to make a sharp edge

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varves

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annual layers of deposits in cold-water lakes

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Archaeologists are interested in culture in context and focus on

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environment, demography, ideology, technology, economy, and organization

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What is significant about Trigger's work in Nubia?

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demography: he estimated population size based on data from gravestones and cemetery size compared to the boundary of the village

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Archaeologists get the most information on:

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technology, then economy, then environment, then organization, then little on demography and less on ideology

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Who was A.J. Weberman?

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coined garbology, studied Bob Dylan's garbage

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Who is William Rathje?

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worked in landfills and got permission to look at people's garbage: discovered high beef prices, more beef waste, people do not edit trash, but they do lie in interviews

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Who is James Deetz?

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miners excavation in movie other people's garbage, also, proponent of emic and mental templates in artifacts

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Who is Charles Fairbanks?

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slave plantation giving voice to the voiceless, other people's garbage

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What example is provided in the Lord of Moche at Sipan?

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The effect of looting and need for protection of sites, discovery by nonexpert, atypical excavation with lots of treasure, ancestral heritage - Walter Alva

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What is antiquarianism?

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treasure hunting period, Howard Carter (King Tut), Hiram Bingham (Machu Picchu), Heinrich Schlieman (Troy)

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What is cultural history?

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ordering, classifying, understanding space and time, sequencing prehistory - v. Gordon Child (Mid Eastern prehist), James A Ford (N.Amer prehist), known for invention, difusion, migration

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Who was V. Gordon Child?

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known for prehistory of mid east, cultural historian

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Processual Arch

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scientific method, Lewis Binford (N.Amer), deduction and induction

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Post-processual arch

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creating an understanding of the past in context, emphasize themes over time, Ian Hodder (European)

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What is the significance of the Black Earth Site?

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Illinois: Demography and diet: named due to rich soil of organics, looked at food resources and burials

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What is the significance of Jomon Japan?

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Pottery (cord whacking) in japan, early food depended on wild things then domestication of cereals, rice later

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Significance of Valley of Oaxaca?

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ideology discovered from ethnoarchaology and evidence of ceremony, imported items

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Significance of Harappan region

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Bronze age Pakistan, Beads, economy and trade, large work shops created more generalized beads, individs made specialized beads

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Significance of the tomb of qin shihuang

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discovered by accident, terracotta warriors

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Sig of Teotihuacan

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"city of the gods" protection of ancestry, mexico - activity area, walmart

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What is the significance of Monk Mound?

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labor tax to make such a large mound, Mississippi

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What is bonfire site?

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buffallo jump site, texas example of vertical stratigraphy

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What is the significance of the Reese River Valley?

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David Hurst Thomas, Julian Steward, seasonal rounds, ecological zones,

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Sig of great hall at Lejre

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Denmark: myths and stories of Vikings led to discovery of great hall that was originally built before the Vikings!

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!Kung San men and Wiessner

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group identity and individual identity, ethnographic study of typing projectile points, typology depends on the people who made them

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Lindow Man

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painted blue green - celts, bog people, special preservation echniques

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David Clarke

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type defined by most typical state of a series of attributes, archaeological types are nodes of various attributes

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Potassium-Argon

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volcanic glass, 5,000-3 bill years, amount of argon in glass is due to decay of the potassium, rate compared between argon and potassium

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obsidian hydration

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after hardened, absorbs water but not at a constant rate because its environment can change, good up to 800,000 years

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Mayan calender

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- = 5
. = 1
Historical records

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technomic

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practical functions of artifact, pragmatic

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socio-rechnic

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social context of artifact, social function, status, ie crosage, tie

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ideo-technic

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ideological context of an artifact - symbols, iconography, how it is used ie crescent moon, cross

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emic

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classification of artifacts based on the the mind of the producer, mental template - James Deetz, Alex Kriegar

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etic

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classification of artifact based on the mind of the analyst, Irving Rouse

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Dorset harpoon heads

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continuous size difference so large and small in same class, residue, experimental arch, context of discovery

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Pipe stems

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example of relative dating techniques based on change of length and diameter of pipe over time, trends of style change, allowed relative dating of sites in New England

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Scandinavian Daggers

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flint copies of bronze daggers from 4500 years ago

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Mayan flint work

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grave goods AD 400-900, nonfunctional artistic creations as well

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Solutrean points

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craftmanship, not for use, very large and thin, hard to make, status good

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Oldowan

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unifacial, 3-2 mya, simple

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cryptocrystalline matric

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stones with microscopic matrixis, very fine grained, primarily used in lithic production

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lithic production

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cone of force, flake production by glancing blows, blades, burins,

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typology

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focus on the edge and angle of stone tool, axes, scapers, harpoons, blade, knives, projectile points, burins, toolkit

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Chaine operatoire

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aquisition, preparation, forming, use and discard, currate

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refitting

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reasembling the broken flake of stone

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robert kelly

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western nevada, greatest artifact diversity is lowest mobility, curated verses expedient tools

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Meer site

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belgium: refitting flint waste to show single occupation, locations specialized in production and living areas, left handed verses right handed

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How is pottery made: steps:

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1) Collect raw materials: clay and temper (sand, shell, gravel...)
2) Prepare Paste: clean clay, add temper, wedge clay, make slip
3) Shape vessel: paddle and anvil, coil, molded, throwing (centering, opening, pulling shaping)
4) Decorate - prefire: impressed, stamped, slip coloring, burnish to polish
5) Fire
6) Decoration post firing: glaze, print transfer
7) Firing
8) Post Firing repairs

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james deetz (again)

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Matrilocal vs. patrilocal residence based on pottery in us

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star carr

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england, seasonality, Graham Clark, antlers, roe deer, red deer, year tooth growth, deer antler => winter occupation, analysis of remains of other deer and other animals => summer occupation mainly and year round, jaw dating of deer => winter occupation

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Incinerator Site

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Ohio, storage, year round occupation

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signs of domestication

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increase size, length, touching of rachis, decrease in seed thickness, increase in edible portions, development of protective husk

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Abu Hureyra

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uninterrupted occupation from 10,500 to 6000 BC, dawn of agriculture; sedentary villages first but hunter-gatherers, then enviro change so food sources died, cultivation of rye then later wheat lentils, legumes; at 7,500 goats and sheep, latter cattle and pigs; took 2,500 years to go from sedentary life to agriculture

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Thera and wood charcoal

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Showed that environment was rich in evergreen forest and olive and pomegranate trees were cultivated and cedar, yew, beech were imported so huge trade system

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Windover, Florida

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Preservation of earliest N. Amer burial grounds, european DNA?!, fibers and fabrics!, brain tissue

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electrical resistivity testing

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pass current through ground and measure resistance to show patterns where metal objects hav lower resistivity

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x-ray defraction

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x-rays scatter when they hit a crystal, so peaks at different elements

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gas chromatography

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organic material, sample converted to gas which can then be tested based on colour when certain chemicals are added

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chinochorro mummies

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chile, mainly infants and children, doll liek