Archaeology Review Flashcards

Flashcards based on archaeology lecture notes.

What is Reductive Production in archaeology?

A manufacturing process that involves the removal of material, studied archaeologically through waste products and tool marks.

What is Synthetic Production in archaeology?

A manufacturing process that involves creating something new by combining different elements, studied archaeologically through the identification of composite artifacts and their components.

What is Chaîne Opératoire in archaeology?

The reconstruction of technological processes used in the past, providing insights into ancient manufacturing techniques and cultural practices.

What is Mass Spectrometry in archaeology?

An analytical technique used to identify and quantify the chemical composition of archaeological samples, such as pottery or metal artifacts.

What is Petrography in archaeology?

The study of rocks and minerals using microscopy, used in archaeology to identify the sources of raw materials and understand ancient trade networks.

What is X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) in archaeology?

An analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of archaeological materials, such as pottery or metal artifacts.

What is Particle-Induced X-Ray Emissions Spectrometry (PIXE) in archaeology?

An analytical technique similar to XRF, but using a beam of charged particles to excite atoms in an archaeological sample.

What is Neutron Activation Analysis in archaeology?

A nuclear technique used to determine the elemental composition of archaeological samples by bombarding them with neutrons.

What aspects of archaeological materials are important to study?

Raw materials and manufacturing techniques used to create artifacts, providing insights into ancient technologies and resource management.

What are achieved and ascribed social identities in archaeology?

Achieved identities are earned through accomplishments, while ascribed identities are assigned at birth, both are important for understanding social roles in past societies.

What is stratification in archaeology?

The arrangement or classification of something into different groups, used in archaeology to analyze social hierarchies and settlement patterns. Archaeologists can examine the size and elaborateness of residences and their proximity to important administrative and religious structures as signifiers of social distinctions.

What is the key question to ask when reconstructing social identities in archaeology?

How can we reconstruct social identities from material remains and burial practices?

What kinds of social identities are studied in archaeology?

Gender, class, ethnicity, and other social categories that can be explored through archaeological evidence. Gender is the sociocultural construct of roles, behaviors, expressions, and identities of individuals. Class is a system of ordering society. Ethnicity relates to ancestry, culture, and identity.

What skeletal functions are relevant to archaeology?

Support, movement, protection, blood cell production, and mineral storage, all of which can be inferred from skeletal remains in archaeological contexts.

What does the basic analysis of human bones entail in archaeology?

Determining sex, age at death, stature, and identifying any pathologies or trauma on human bones.

What is determined by examining skeletal remains in archaeology?

Sex and gender of individuals based on skeletal morphology.

What is the cranium, and how is it relevant to archaeology?

The skull, used in archaeology to determine sex, age, and ancestry.

What is the mastoid process, and how is it relevant to archaeology?

A bony projection on the temporal bone behind the ear, used in determining sex from skeletal remains in archaeology.

What is the mandible, and how is it relevant to archaeology?

The lower jaw bone, which can provide information about age, sex, and diet in archaeological contexts.

What is the brow ridge, and how is it relevant to archaeology?

The bony ridge above the eye sockets, used in determining sex from skeletal remains in archaeology.

What is the pelvis, and why is it studied in archaeology?

The bony structure located at the base of the spine, supporting the abdomen and attaching to the legs, crucial for sex and age estimation from skeletal remains in archaeology.

What skeletal feature helps determine age at death in archaeology?

The fusion of cranial sutures can help estimate age at death in skeletal remains.

How do teeth offer an understanding of the deceased in archaeology?

Tooth wear and development can indicate age at the time of death, as well as dietary habits in archaeological studies.

What characteristics of the pelvis offer insight into the deceased in archaeology?

Sexual dimorphism and age-related changes in the pelvis provide insights into sex and age of individuals in archaeological contexts.

What is Archaeothanatology?

The study of the taphonomy of human remains in archaeological contexts, including decomposition, burial practices, and post-depositional processes.

What is Paleodemography?

The study of population characteristics in the past, such as size, density, and mortality rates, using archaeological data.

What is Archaeogenetics?

The study of ancient DNA extracted from archaeological remains, providing insights into genetic relationships and population movements.

What is Paleodiet?

The study of ancient diets using various methods, such as stable isotope analysis and the analysis of plant and animal remains.

What is Paleobotany/Archaeobotany?

The study of ancient plants and their uses by humans, providing insights into past agricultural practices and environments.

What is Stable Isotope Analysis in archaeology?

The analysis of the ratios of stable isotopes in archaeological samples to determine their origin or history, such as diet or geographic location.

What are C3 and C4 plants, and how are they relevant to archaeology?

Different types of plants with different photosynthetic pathways, which can be identified through stable isotope analysis in archaeological remains.

What can stable isotope analysis help identify in archaeology?

Migration patterns of ancient populations through the analysis of stable isotopes in human remains.

What is Paleopathology?

The study of ancient diseases and injuries in skeletal remains.

What is essential in identifying diseases from skeletal remains in archaeology?

Understanding different kinds of diseases and how they manifest in bones is essential for accurate diagnosis in paleopathology.

What are perimortem and antemortem injuries in archaeology?

Perimortem injuries occur around the time of death, while antemortem injuries occur before death, helping to reconstruct events surrounding death in archaeological contexts.

Intentional or accidental categories in archaeological injury analysis?

Categories to classify injuries or death circumstances found in archaeological contexts. These classifications help determine whether the injuries were caused by violence, accident, or other factors.

What is body modification, and how is it studied in archaeology?

Alterations made to the human body, such as tattoos, piercings, or scarification, providing insights into cultural practices and identity in archaeological contexts.

What is structural violence, and how is it studied in archaeology?

Systemic ways in which social structures harm or disadvantage individuals, which can be identified through the analysis of skeletal remains and burial practices in archaeology.

What are mortuary contexts in archaeology?

The circumstances surrounding death and burial, which provide insights into cultural beliefs and social practices in the past.

What are some terms for describing burial contexts that archaeologists use?

Terms for describing burial contexts that archaeologists use such as primary, secondary, articulated, and disarticulated remains.

What do articulated and disarticulated remains describe in archaeology?

Articulated remains are still connected, while disarticulated remains are scattered, providing insights into burial practices and taphonomic processes in archaeology.

What are primary and secondary burials in archaeology?

Primary burials are the initial burial, while secondary burials involve moving the remains to another location, reflecting different cultural practices in the treatment of the dead.

What are prone and supine positions in archaeology?

Prone is face down, while supine is face up, describing the position of the body in burial contexts and potentially reflecting cultural beliefs or social status.

What are grave goods in archaeology?

Objects buried with the deceased, providing insights into social status, religious beliefs, and economic practices in past societies.

How can social inequality be determined from burials in archaeology?

By analyzing the amount and type of grave goods found in burials, reflecting social hierarchies and access to resources in past societies.

What was the Neolithic Revolution, and how is it studied in archaeology?

The shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture, which had profound effects on human societies and the environment, studied through archaeological evidence.

What is Agriculture, and how is it studied in archaeology?

The cultivation of plants and animals for food, which can be studied through the analysis of plant and animal remains in archaeological contexts.

What is food production, and how is it studied in archaeology?

The process of growing, raising, and harvesting food, which can be studied through archaeological evidence of agricultural tools, storage facilities, and food processing areas.

What is plant cultivation, and how is it studied in archaeology?

The process of growing plants for food or other purposes, studied through archaeological evidence of seeds, pollen, and agricultural tools.

What is Harvesting, and how is it studied in archaeology?

The process of gathering mature crops, which can be studied through the analysis of plant remains and harvesting tools in archaeological contexts.

What is Domestication, and how is it studied in archaeology?

The process of adapting wild plants and animals for human use, studied through changes in their morphology and genetic makeup in archaeological remains.

What factors are considered when determining when domestication occurred in archaeological contexts?

Changes in plant and animal morphology, genetic makeup, and distribution patterns, studied through archaeological evidence.

What types of evidence help determine domestication in archaeological contexts?

Morphological changes in plants and animals, genetic studies, and changes in geographic distribution, studied through archaeological evidence.

What is sedentism, and how is it identified in archaeology?

Living in a fixed location, which is often associated with the development of agriculture and can be identified through archaeological evidence of permanent settlements.

What are some differences in plant and animal domestication, and how are they studied in archaeology?

Plants involve genetic and morphological changes, while animals also involve behavioral changes, all of which can be studied through archaeological evidence.

How can domestication be determined in animals/plants using archaeological evidence?

Morphological changes, genetic changes, and changes in geographic range, all of which can be studied in archaeological remains.

How does agriculture affect disease, and how is this studied in archaeology?

Agriculture led to increased population density and close proximity to animals, resulting in the spread of diseases, which can be studied through paleopathological analysis of skeletal remains.

Why did people start agriculture, and how is this studied in archaeology?

A complex issue with multiple contributing factors, which can be explored through archaeological evidence and theoretical models.

What are push and pull models in the context of agricultural origins, and how are they used in archaeology?

Explanations for why people adopted agriculture, which can be tested using archaeological data.

What are competition or social models for the origins of agriculture, and how are they studied in archaeology?

Models that suggest agriculture arose due to social pressures or competition, which can be tested using archaeological data on social organization and resource distribution.

What are some effects of agriculture and sedentism, and how are they studied in archaeology?

Increased population density, disease, and social inequality, all of which can be studied through archaeological evidence.

Is agriculture the worst mistake in the history of the human race, and how is this question addressed in archaeology?

A debated question with both supporting and opposing arguments, which can be explored through archaeological evidence and theoretical perspectives.

What are the consequences of agriculture and sedentism, and how are they studied in archaeology?

Complex social structures, environmental changes, and new technologies, all of which can be studied through archaeological evidence.

What is Settlement Archaeology?

The study of the spatial distribution of human settlements and their relationship to the environment, providing insights into past human behavior.

What is Urbanism, and how is it studied in archaeology?

The growth and development of cities, along with their social, economic, and political systems, which can be studied through archaeological excavations and surveys.

What is Hammurabi’s Code, and how is it relevant to archaeology?

A set of laws from ancient Mesopotamia, which provides insights into the social and legal systems of the time.

What are settlement patterns in archaeology?

The spatial distribution of human settlements across a landscape, reflecting social, economic, and environmental factors.

What are scales of settlement in archaeology?

Different levels of analysis for studying settlements, from individual households to entire regions, providing different perspectives on past human behavior.

What are activity areas and trash in archaeology?

Areas within a site where specific activities took place, and the waste products associated with those activities, providing insights into daily life and economic activities.

What is a household, and how is it studied in archaeology?

A domestic unit, typically consisting of a family or group of people living together, which can be studied through the analysis of house remains and associated artifacts.

What are neighborhoods, and how are they studied in archaeology?

Clusters of households within a larger settlement, reflecting social organization and community structure.

What is an archaeological site?

A place where evidence of past human activity is found, providing a location for archaeological research and interpretation.

What is an archaeological region?

A large area containing multiple sites with related material culture, reflecting shared cultural traditions and historical connections.

What is Landscape Archaeology?

The study of how people interacted with and shaped their environment, providing insights into human-environment relationships and cultural adaptations.

What is Household Archaeology?

The study of past human behavior within the household context, providing insights into daily life, social organization, and economic activities.

What is revealed by studying house remains in archaeology?

What can it tell us about past human behavior, social organization, and economic activities.

What is house form in archaeology?

The physical structure and layout of a house, reflecting cultural norms, environmental adaptations, and social status.

What is house organization in archaeology?

The way space is used and arranged within a house, reflecting social relationships, gender roles, and economic activities.

What is a house society in archaeology?

A social structure where the house is the basic unit of social organization, reflecting kinship ties, inheritance patterns, and social hierarchies.

What is craft specialization in archaeology?

The production of goods by skilled individuals or groups, reflecting economic specialization, technological innovation, and social organization.

What is division of labor in archaeology?

The assignment of different tasks to different individuals or groups, reflecting social organization, economic specialization, and power relations.

What is specialization in archaeology?

Concentrating on a particular skill or activity, leading to increased efficiency, higher quality goods, and economic interdependence.

How are Households vs workshops differentiated in archaeology?

Differentiating where artifact creation stemmed from, households or workshops, offer insight on artifact creation.

Why study exchange in archaeology?

To understand economic, social, and political interactions between individuals and groups in the past.

Why is it ideal to study economic systems in archaeology?

Studying ancient economic systems provides insight on the past.

What information can be gleaned about political systems from remains in archaeology?

Political systems of the past can be determined by the remains they left behind.

What can archeological remains suggest about social systems?

Social systems of the past can be determined by the remains they left behind.

Why is understanding ritual systems important in archaeology?

Understanding ritual systems can provide insight on past practices.

What is exchange in archaeology?

The transfer of goods or services between individuals or groups, reflecting social, economic, and political relationships.

How to study exchange in archaeology?

By analyzing the distribution of artifacts and identifying patterns of trade, reflecting economic interactions and social networks.

What are Provenance studies in archaeology?

Determining the origin of an artifact, which can provide insights into ancient trade networks and cultural interactions.

What are compositional analyses in archaeology?

Determining the chemical composition of an artifact to understand its origin and manufacturing techniques.

What is Petrography in archaeology?

The study of rocks and minerals using microscopy, which can be used to identify the sources of raw materials used to make artifacts.

What is XRF in archaeology?

X-Ray Fluorescence

What utility do historical records have in archaeology?

Historical records provide context for understanding archaeological findings.

What are exchange routes in archaeology?

The pathways along which goods were traded, reflecting economic interactions and cultural exchange.

What is Reciprocity in archaeology?

A form of exchange involving the mutual giving and receiving of goods or services, reflecting social relationships and reciprocal obligations.

What is Potlatch, and how is it studied archaeologically?

A ceremonial gift-giving feast practiced by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, reflecting social status, wealth redistribution, and cultural values.

What is Barter, and how is it identified in archaeology?

A form of exchange involving the direct exchange of goods or services without the use of money, reflecting economic interactions and resource management.

What is Redistribution, and how is it studied in archaeology?

A form of exchange involving the collection of goods by a central authority and then their distribution to the population, reflecting political organization and economic control.