Archaeology Exam 1

Archaeology

systemic scientific recovery and analysis of material remains to answer questions about the past

Prehistoric Archaeology

study of the past before historical records begin, from earliest human ancestors to pre-modern societies

Artifacts

Any object made, used, or modified by humans

Ecofacts

Natural remains of plants, animals, and sediments that are the byproduct of human activity

Features

An immovable structure, layer or pit

Sites

The accumulation of artifacts / ecofacts representing a place where people lived or carried out their lives.

Steps of archaeology

Survey, total station, excavation, map artifacts in situ, backfill

Relative dating

earlier or later?

Absolute dating

age in calendar years, specifically how long ago

Hominin

Humans and our extinct evolutionary relatives

Bipedalism

walking on two legs; forward positioned foramen magnum, femur anatomy changes

Cranial Capacity

large brains did not evolve first. Started at 400-500 cc

Austrolipithecines

Shorter, small brains. Lucy, Latoli Footprints, and taung child are examples.

Paranthropus

Massive jaws, very robuts, saggital crest. Examples are Ardi

Characteristics of Homo Erectus

earliest evidence in africa; larger brains, smaller teeth, less projecting faces

Hybridization Model

Homo sapiens interbred with archaic populations

Replacement Model

Homo ssapiens evolved in africa and spread, overtaking other local populations

Multiregional Model

Homo sapions evolved simultaneously across different regions of the Old World instead of being isolated populations

Paleolithic Period

‘Old Stone Age’, earliest and longest period of human prehistory. Tools distinguish from the upper + lower periods

Oldowon Tools

Created by early homo, simple core, sharp flake

Achulean Tools

Created by homo erectus, multi-use for handaxes and cleavers

Levallois Technique

Middle paleolithic; core shaped in advance to produce a flake of a predetermined form. Can be shaped into composite tools like spears.

Major changes in the upper paleolithic

50k-12k years ago; Europe and Asia primarily associated with homosapiens. Ice age climates are present, and art!

Upper Paleolithic stone toolsq

Increase use of bone, antler, ivory for hunting

Atlatls

Spear thrower, increases projectile range and velocity

Types of art found

Venus figurines, cave art in Lascux, France, and animals + abstract shapes

Mezhyrich

Open- air settlement, structures associated with mammoth bones

Migration

Movement of people from one place to another, temporarily or permanently.

Sahul

Australia, New Geuinia, Tasmania. Pleistocene land mass

Pacific Voyaging

Knowledge of wind, currents, stars, and celestial navigation. Birds, clouds, waves, etc

Domestication

Interactions with humans produce heritable, genetic changes in plants or animals. Can be intentional or non intentional

Paleobotany

Study of ancient plants in human plant interactions

Macrobotanicals

Seeds, wood, nutshell

Microbotanical

Pollen, starch grains

Zooarchaeology

Study of animal remains from archaeological sites

Oasis Theory

V. Gordon Childe; post ice age concentrated people and plants, close interaction encouraged domestication

Readiness Theory

Robert Braidwood; growing knowledge and new technology allowed for domestication to occur

Niche construction

Humans modify environments to favor useful species. These changes altar selection pressures.

Lactase Persistance

Southern Croatia; milk proteins identified in vessels. Dairying preceded widespread lactase persistance

Maize

First domesticated in Balsas River Valley region in southwestern Mexico.

Xihuatoxtla Rockshelter

Maize and starch grains found on grinding stones

Plants domesticated in Mesoamerica

Beans, squash, chili peppers, potatoes, quinoia

Maize in NA

Bat Cave, NM; maize adapted to new drier enviornments.

Eastern Agricultural Complex

A set of plants cultivated in eastern NA; marshelder, sunflower, squash

Raqefet Cave, Israel

Starch residues in stone martars show malting and brewing

Godin Tepe, Iran

Large ceramic jars contained charred barley remains, evidence for alch. production

Alchohol in Egypt

A staple food and drink, not just for special occasions

Alchohol in Rome

Wine was the main choice, quality reflected status. Used for trade (amphorae)

Alchohol in Ancient Andes

Chicha, often made from maize, was central to feasting and hospitality

Alchohol with ritual, economic power, politics

Elities in Inca Empire sponsored large feasts, which created relationships of hospitality and obligation