Archeology Midterm

Poverty Point

A prehistoric Native American site in Louisiana, known for its large earthworks built around 1700-1100 BC. It was a center for trade and ceremonial activities.

Mississippian Tradition

A cultural period characterized by large, complex societies, mound-building, and extensive trade networks across the southeastern United States.

Cahokia

The largest Mississippian city, peaking around 1050-1350 CE, with large earthan mounds, including Monk’s Mound.

Mound 72 at Cahokia

A burial mound containing evidence of human sacrifice, elite burials, and grave goods, indicating a stratified society.

Hohokam

A prehistoric culture in the Southwest, known for their extensive irrigation systems and trade connections.

Hohokam Irrigation

A system of canals and ditches used by the Hohokam culture to divert water from rivers for agricultural purposes, supporting their farming practices in arid environments, extending over 25 miles.

Ancestral Pueblo

A prehistoric culture in the Four Corners region of the United States, known for their cliff dwellings, pottery, and agricultural practices.

Chaco Canyon

A major Ancestral Puebloan cultural center in New Mexico, with large ceremonial buildings called great houses.

Hallmarks of the Chaco Phenomenon

Includes Great Houses, extensive road networks, astronomical alignments, and centralized storage.

Great Houses

Massive, multi-story structures in Chaco Canyon, believed to be ceremonial and administrative centers.

Kivas

Underground ceremonial chambers used by Ancestral Puebloans for religious rituals and community gatherings.

Interpretations of the Chaco Phenomenon

Scholars debate whether Chaco Canton was a political center, a ceremonial pilgrimage site, or a trade hub

Makah

A Native American group from the Pacific Northwest, known for their whaling and complex social hierarchy.

Pacific Northwest

A region with abundant natural resources, including forests, rivers, and marine life, which supported diverse Indigenous cultures and economies.

Chunkey

A Mississippian game involving rolling a stone disc and throwing spears to land near it.

Ball Courts

Large, open playing fields used for Mesoamerican ballgames, often featuring stone rings and ceremonial significance, built by the Hokoham

Domestication

The process of selectively breeding plants and animals for human use

Cultivation

The preparation and use of land for growing crops

Sedentism

The transition from nomadic to permanent, settled communities

Urbanization

The growth of cities and complex settlements with dense populations

Locations of Independant Centers of Domestication

Includes SW Asia (Fertile Crescent), Mesoamerica, China, Africa, and the Andes

Neolithic Revolution

The transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture, leading to permanent settlements and social complexity

Neolithic Package

A set of changes associated with earl farming societies, including domesticated plants/animals, permanent villages, and new technologies

Relationship Between Sedentism and Domestication

Sedentism allowed for more intensive agriculture, while domestication encouraged permanent settlements

Oasis Hypothesis

Proposes that domestication began when humans and animals clustered around water sources during dry periods.

Population Pressure Hypothesis

Suggests that domestication arose as a response to increased population density and food shortages

Co-evolution Theory for Domestication

Suggests that humans and domestic species evolved together in a mutually beneficial relationship

Social Hypotheses for Domestication

Theories suggesting that social or economic factors drove domestication rather then environmental necessity

Paleoethnobotnay

The study of ancient plant remains to understand past human diets and agriculture

Domestication Syndrome and Its Components

A set of traits seen in domesticated plants and animals, including reduced natural defenses, increased yield, and dependance on humans

Zooarchaeology

The study of animal remains in archeological sites to understand human animal interactions

Changes in Animal Body Size Related to the Domestication Process

Domesticated animals often become smaller due to selective breeding for docility and human management

Plants and Animals Domesticated in SW Asia

Wheat, barley, lentils, sheep, goats, cattle

Plants and Animals Domesticated in Mesoamerica

Maize, beans, squash, turkeys, dogs

Communal Projects

Large-scale construction of agricultural efforts requiring organized labor often seen in early civilizations

Elman Service

An anthropologist who classified human societies into bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states

Band

Small, kin-based group of about 10-50 people