Archaeology final

Prehistory

The time period before written records (documentation)

"Man the Hunter premise"

1) Meat is the most important food item

2) Meat is hunted by men

3) Meat is only obtained by men who bring it home to share with women, in exchange for sexual access

Artefactual Sex

Sex assignment based on the accompanying artifacts in a burial or other archaeological context (compare with biological sex).

Biological Sex

physical characteristics that define male and female

Androcentrism

Male centered; the belief that the male is the norm

"Venus Figurines"

Males are fascinated by women's bodies & view them as signs of fertility

- Made by men for men - paleo porn

Myths of Matriarchy

Describe a society in which women held power

- But due to an inability to handle power, the rule by women was eventually replaced by patriarchal rule (ruled by men)

Continuum in Sex determination

Not strictly binary (male or female)

- both exhibit a male or female trait

Andro

male

Gyno

Female

Examples of Biased Archeological Interpretations

1) Men as the Sole innovators of Technology

2) Binary Skeletons & Universal Sexuality

3) "Venus" Figurines

4) Past Matriarchy

Moche "sex pots"

Misinterpreted of what is being depicted

- Depicted as lineages through the process of bodily fluid and the relationship in maintaining the family lines

Past Matriarchy

The idea that human societies were matriarchal in the past is a theory that has been proposed by scholars

- Ruled by men in the past

JJ Bachofen's Das Mutterecht

Used Myth as evidence to explain why proper civilization needs to be ruled by men

Patriarchy

Rule by Men

Matrilocality

a residential pattern in which a married couple lives with or near the wife's family

What has been the traditional assumption about sexuality?

- Has assumed to be universal & interpretations reflected 20th century sexual norms as inevitable

Presentism

uncritical adherence to present-day attitudes, especially the tendency to interpret past events in terms of modern values and concepts.

What are the three (good) assumptions for the archaeology of gender?

- Gender is found in all societies & structures cultural relations

- There are material dimensions of gender & gender relations (artifacts and areas within sites that reflect gender)

- Those who use certain tools/artifacts are most likely to actually manufacture & maintain them

Middle Range Theory

Refers to theories linking human behavior and natural processes to physical remains in the archaeological record.

Ethnographic analogy

Refers to the use of comparative data from anthropology to inform reconstructions of past human societies.

Chaine Operatoire

The analysis of the technical processes and social acts involved in the step-by-step production, use, and eventual disposal of artifacts.

Experimental archaeology

The field of study which attempts to generate and test archaeological hypotheses by replicating or approximating the feasibility of ancient cultures performing various tasks.

Scientific Method

The systematic observation, measurement, experiment, and the formulation, testing and modification of hypotheses.

Earliest stone tools

Lomekwi 3, a 3.3 million year old site in Kenya is known for this important discovery.

Oldowan Tools

These iconic artifacts mark the beginning of the Lower Paleolithic (Old Stone Age).

Homo erectus

Dating between 1.8 and 1.5 mya, Acheulean tools are most closely associated with this species of Homo.

Zhoukoudian

Cave site in China yielding some of the earliest evidence for the controlled use of fire.

Typological Analysis

In the study of archaeological ceramics, the study of vessel form and evolution of vessel style is known as what type of analysis.

Economic Anthropology

_______ _______ is the comparative study of production, distribution and consumption in all societies of the world.

Redistribution

When goods are given to a central authority and then given back to the people in a new pattern.

Exchange

How commodities are distributed among the people of a society.

Production

__________ is the transformation or conversion of resources into food, tools and other goods through labor.

Reciprocity

This economic system, often found in hunter-gather societies, involves the sharing of resources and is based on social relationships rather than market transactions?

206

The number of bones in an adult human.

Forensic Anthropology

A type of applied anthropology that specializes in the changes and variation in the human skeleton for the purpose of legal inquiry.

Bioarchaeology

Focuses on the interaction between biology and behavior and the influences of environment and culture on human biological variation.

Pelvis

A post-cranial element used in both sexing an individual and determining their age.

Mastoid process

A prominence of the temporal bone behind the ear, to which neck muscles are attached, and is useful for determining gender differences.

New York African Burial Ground

Discovered in the early 1990s prior to the construction of a federal office building in Lower Manhattan.

Residue analysis

Uses any burned or un-burned organic materials in a vessel for either dating or dietary evaluation.

Cognitive Archaeology

This is the study of beliefs of past societies based on their material remains.

China

The finest ceramics in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were exported around the world from this country.

Cranial capacity (brain size)

As Homo erectus expanded from tropical and subtropical climates, and perfected his tool making skills, this capacity also increased.

Stable isotopes

Found in teeth and in bones, these are often used to study diet and migration patterns in ancient populations.

Archaeological Site

Location where past human activity is studied.

Feature

Non-portable evidence of past human activity.

Artifacts

Portable objects created or used by humans.

Ecofacts

Natural remains providing environmental context.

N-Transformation

Natural processes altering archaeological materials.

C-Transformation

Cultural processes affecting archaeological materials.

Fortuitous Discovery

Accidental finding of archaeological materials.

Predictive Modeling

Using data to forecast archaeological site locations.

Remote Sensing

Techniques for detecting archaeological sites from afar.

Aerial Based Survey

Surveying archaeological sites using aerial imagery.

Ground Based Survey

On-the-ground examination of archaeological sites.

Pedestrian Survey

Systematic walking to collect surface artifacts.

Shovel Testing

Excavating small test pits to find artifacts.

Settlement Pattern Archaeology

Study of how communities are spatially organized.

Cultural Ecology

Examines interactions between culture and environment.

Viru Valley Study

Analyzed village interactions in a regional context.

Household Archaeology

Focus on individual houses and their social roles.

Site Exploitation Territory

Study of seasonal resource use across sites.

LiDAR

Remote sensing technology for mapping landscapes.

Gordion

Ancient capital of Phrygia, Turkey.

GRS Survey Region

Geographic area surveyed for archaeological study.

Powhatan Uprising

Conflict in Virginia impacting settlement patterns.

1906

American Antiquities Act

American Antiquities Act

1st Law for general protection and beginning national preservation policy. Protects archaeological materials on lands owned by U.S. Established penalties (up to $500)

1935

Historic Sites Act

Historic Sites Act

1935. Declared the preservation of historic sites, buildings and objects to be a national policy. Authorized the Secretary of the Interior to obtain information, survey, conduct, research, maintain, and preserve sites with arch. significance. Est. the National Park Service Advisory Council.

1966

National Historic Preservation Act

National Historic Preservation Act

1966. Establishes SHPO'S (+THPO'S) Is it an undertaking? Notification and consultation "lead" agency notifies SHPO/THPO. Mitigation. National Register of Historic Places

SHPO

State Historic Preservation Office: oversight, audit, accountability. Cooperate with federal, state, local government, private and agencies. Maintain inventory. Identify and nominate eligible properties to the register. Prepare, implement and administer Statewide management plan. Public education. Consultation. 50 states and 14 sovereign territories.

THPO

Tribal Historic Preservation Office: Cooperate with federal, state, local government, private and agencies. Maintain inventory. Consultation. More than 700 federally recognized tribes.

National Register of Historic Places

4 Criteria to determine eligibility: association with significant events, person, significant characteristics (architecture), have or will yield important information about history or prehistory

1974

Archaeology and Historic Preservation Act

Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act

1974. Makes federal agencies responsible for mitigating the damage caused by their actions to important archaeological sites. AKA Archaeological Recovery Act and the Moss-Bennet Bill. Builds on the Historic Sites Act of 1935.

1979

Archaeology Resources Protection Act

Archaeology Resources Protection Act

1979. Protects archaeological resources and sites on public (federal) and Indian lands. Calls for preservation of objects associated with records in a repository and confirms resources. Must be material remains of human life at least 100 years old and of archaeological interest. Requires permits. Establishes penalties.

1987

Abandoned Shipwreck Act

Abandoned Shipwreck Act

1987. Establishes governmental ownership over most shipwrecks in nations waters. Shipwrecks covered by statute are significant historical resources that tell compelling stories about the past. Physical remains are vital biological habitats and contribute to state heritage and tourism. Protected from exploitation by commercial salvagers and can be enjoyed by public.

1990

Native American Graves Protection and Reparation Act (NAGPRA)

NAGPRA

Native American Graves Protection and Reparation Act 1990. Specifies treatment for Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects. Illegal trafficking in human remains and cultural items may result in criminal penalties. Provides general protection and consideration of Native American remains

36 CFR 79

Curation of Federal Owned and Administered Archaeological Collections 1990. Provides regulations for care and curation of archaeological collections.