Exam 2 Faunal Analysis and Archaeology Lecture Notes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering faunal analysis, lithic technology, plant remains, bioarchaeology, cognitive archaeology, and the development of agriculture and states.

Zooarchaeologist

A researcher who compares animal remains of modern day to those of the past to better understand the circumstances in which they existed in history.

Microfauna

Small animals that serve as better indicators of past climate and environment because they are more sensitive to the environment and adapt to changes quickly.

Mary Leakey

An archaeologist associated with the theory that early humans engaged in hunting.

Lewis Binford

An archaeologist associated with the scavenging theory, suggesting humans scavenged remains left by large predators.

NISP (Number of Identified Specimens)

A method used to count all the bones in an assemblage.

MNI (Minimum Number of Individuals)

The least number of animals necessary to account for the bone sample.

Meat weight

An analysis of which units provide the most meat versus the least, categorized as high utility versus low utility.

Catastrophic age profile

A mass kill that destroys the population, used to identify targeting strategies based on teeth.

U-profile

A hunt profile showing the target of extremely young or old prey, creating a U-shape on a graph.

Palynology

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

Phytoliths

Genus-specific silicate bodies inside plants, also referred to as "plant stones."

Diatom

Silicate shells of microscopic algae.

Seed crops

Plants that produce sexually by making and dispersing seeds, such as wheat, barley, corn, rice, and sunflower.

Root crops

Plants that reproduce asexually from shoots or cuttings, such as potatoes, yams, manioc, and taro.

Glume

The seed coat of a plant, which typically becomes thinner due to human selection.

Rachis

The attachment point of seeds, which becomes tougher due to human selection.

Site catchment analysis

A type of off-site analysis concentrating on the total area from which a site's contents have been derived.

Chopper

A Lower Paleolithic pebble roughly worked on one side, used for digging and skinning.

Big ace (Hand axe)

A Lower Paleolithic hand axe knapped on both sides, used for cutting.

Knife

A Middle Paleolithic tool intensively knapped on one side, used for cutting and as a weapon.

Cryptocrystalline

A type of stone with microscopic crystals that breaks in a predictable way, essential for making tools.

Flint (Chert)

A hard siliceous stone that breaks in predictable ways to produce sharp flakes.

Conchoidal fracture

A shell-like shape of the interior surface of a flake, representing the breakage pattern seen in flaked stone tools.

Hertzian cone

The name for the bulb of force produced in the fracture of cryptocrystalline materials.

Flake

A stone artifact produced by removing a piece from a core by chipping or knapping.

Nodule

An unworked piece of stone or raw material.

Core

The stone from which other pieces, such as flakes, are removed.

Knapping

The process of chipping or flaking stones to make tools and other artifacts.

Percussion flaking

A technique that takes off large chunks when starting a tool.

Pressure flaking

A technique that thins out areas slowly to steepen edges when finishing a tool.

Blade

A kind of flake with two parallel sides and a length at least twice its width.

Retouch

The shaping or sharpening of stone artifacts through percussion or pressure flaking.

Cha ne op ratoire

The sequence of production from raw material acquisition to the final abandonment and/or use of an object.

Curated tools

Special purpose implements requiring specific raw materials and substantial time to make, often repaired or recycled.

Expedient tools

Simple, general-purpose implements that are quickly made, used, and discarded.

Refitting (conjoining)

The process of putting together discarded flakes like a puzzle to understand tool-making steps and activities.

Microwear analysis

Microscopic analysis of damage and polish on tool edges to reveal the materials that were worked.

Provenance analysis

Techniques of examination by which characteristic properties of a raw material are identified to locate its source.

Provenance postulate

The principle stating that if differences within a material source are less than differences between sources, the individual sources can be distinguished.

Fall-off analysis

An analysis of how much material is present relative to the distance from the source location.

Temper

A non-plastic substance added to clay to reduce breakage caused by shrinkage when firing.

Bioarchaeology

The study of the human biological component evident in the archaeological record.

Osteology

The scientific study of bones.

Primary burials

The burial of a complete, articulated corpse after death.

Secondary burials

The reburial or burial of partial, disarticulated skeletal remains.

Cortical bone

Hard, dense bone tissue commonly found in limbs.

Trabecular bone

Spongy bone tissue found in the interior of the bone.

Deciduous dentition

Baby teeth, or the teeth that are shed.

Cranial sutures

Lines of connection between cranial bones that fade as an individual ages.

Pubic symphysis

The point of articulation between the two pubic bones, used to determine age.

Paleopathology

The study of ancient patterns of diseases, disorders, and trauma.

Harris lines

Horizontal lines near the ends of long bones indicating episodes of physiological stress.

Enamel hypoplasia

Horizontal linear defects in tooth enamel indicating episodes of physiological stress.

Osteoarthritis

A disorder where cartilage between joints wears away, often indicating repetitive tasks or overuse.

Masticatory functional hypothesis

The theory that changes in skull shape reflect changing demands of chewing muscles due to diet changes, such as cooking food.

Osteoblasts

Cells responsible for bone formation and adding bone mass.

Osteoclasts

Cells responsible for the removal of bone mass.

Porotic Hyperostosis

A skeletal condition indicating iron deficiency.

Cribra Orbitalia

A skeletal condition of the eye sockets indicating iron deficiency.

Parry fracture

A distinctive break in the forearm resulting from a blow to an arm raised in defense.

Achieved status

An earned position of prestige determined by skill, ability, and effort.

Ascribed status

An inherited position of prestige determined by birth.

Egalitarian societies

Social systems where all people have nearly equal access to resources.

Ranked societies

Social systems with a hierarchy of status and restricted access to critical resources.

Cognitive archaeology

The study of ancient culture aspects that are products of the human mind, such as perception, values, and the supernatural.

Entoptic phenomena

Shifting geometric figures produced by the nervous system, often analyzed in the context of ritual.

Unilineal cultural evolution

The theory that societies evolve along a single developmental trajectory.

Neolithic

The prehistoric period beginning about $10\,kya$ characterized by stone technology and dependence on domesticated plants and animals.

Natufian

A Middle Eastern culture from $\sim 14-10\,kya$ involving complex foraging.

Levant

An area along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean coast where cereals grow abundantly.

Neolithic demographic transition

A period of rapid population increase spurred by the shift to an agricultural food base.

Chiefdom

A level of sociopolitical integration more complex than a tribe but less so than a state.

State

A class society rigidly stratified into social levels, where the ruling class controls the populace through coercion and force.